Cecil B. Tramel Memorial Highway- The Legacy of a Liberator: The Legacy of the Liberators

In the town of Mittie, LA lies the Cecil B. Tramel Memorial Highway, named in honor of a soldier fallen in Normandy, France following the D-Day invasion in 1944. Giving his life in service of his country before reaching the age of 30, Cecil B. Tramel landed in France as part of the liberation force set to free Europe from the grip of the Axis powers, in what is known as Operation Overlord. The invasion of Europe began on D-Day, June 6, 1944, with units from American and British forces storming the beaches of Normandy, France. Amidst a barrage of artillery fire from deeply embedded German forces, Allied troops fought desperately for every inch of beachhead gained. Over the course of D-Day, which involved a cooperation of naval, airborne and ground forces, Allied forces suffered over 4,000 deaths in a single day. The push into France continued for months after the initial assault on D-Day, with troops fighting to establish a gateway into the rest of Europe.

Fighting with the 318th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army’s 80th Division, Cecil B. Tramel and his fellow soldiers pushed further into the depths of Nazi-occupied France. In August of 1944, the 318th Infantry Regiment made their way into Argentan, France, a town that “played a pivotal role during the final phase of the Battle of Normandy.” In Argentan the 318th encountered two German Panzer divisions and “[o]n August 18, 1944, a new offensive was launched” and the 318th “was in charge of taking Argentan.” Unfortunately, “the infantry suffered heavy casualties due to machine gun fire and mortar shells.” The fight to secure Argentan was brutal, and “about 80% of the town was destroyed.” Argentan was finally liberated on August 20, 1944, tragically, the same day that Cecil B. Tramel lost his life.

News of Tramel’s death reached his family via a telegram delivered by the Red Cross, as was commonplace during the war. Thousands of families just like Tramel’s received the devastating news of their loved one’s death on a slip of paper through the mail. Over seventy years later, Tramel would be memorialized beyond a telegram with a stretch of Louisiana Highway 26 named in his honor. Surviving members of his family traveled to view the unveiling ceremony, including his sister-in-law Gertrude Tramel. Gertrude recounted the last time she saw Cecil, when she and her husband brought him to the Oberlin, Louisiana bus station to ship out on his tour of duty in Europe. Despite the many long years between his death and the dedication of his highway memorial, Cecil Tramel was never forgotten by his family. And now, he will be forever remembered in the community of Mittie, Louisiana.

After the town of Argentan was secured by Allied forces, the push into France continued until almost the entirety of the nation was liberated from the Germans grip. The capital of Paris was secured by the Allies on August 25, 1944, and a massive victory parade took place on August 29th to celebrate the achievement. As 1944 drew to a close and the war entered a new year, more and more European nations were liberated. By Spring 1945, the death knell was tolling for the Nazi regime, as Allied forces rapidly advanced toward Berlin. For months Allied forces had liberated concentration camps, conquered towns and cities, and decimated the German military. The leader of the Nazi regime, Adolf Hitler, committed suicide on April 30, 1945, with Germany finally surrendering on May 8, 1945. The liberation of Europe from the tyranny of Nazi Germany was a long, arduous, and bloody fight. The freedom of millions could not have been secured without the sacrifices of soldiers like Cecil B. Tramel, who gave their lives for the deliverance of others. While a stretch of road is hardly enough to repay the debt we owe to their service, it is a small token of a grateful nation.

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