The French town of Saint-Lo is left in rubble and ruin following some of the bitterest fighting in World War II. The town was 95% destroyed before it was captured from Germans on July 18, 1944. The victories in Normandy and Northern France paved the way for the Allies triumphant entry into Paris in August 1944. (Department of Defense)
John covers U.S. military activities across Europe and Africa. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, he previously worked for newspapers in New Jersey, North Carolina and Maryland. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.
Sign Up for Daily Headlines
Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets
from around the world.