​​​The town was a crucial part of the plans for the US 82nd Airborne Division due to its road network that went in all directions across the Cotentin peninsula. It needed to be secured ready for the advance of the US 4th Infantry Division from Utah beach. 

The three parachute drop zones for the 82nd were located to the west of the town. It was never the intention to land paratroopers on or into the town on D-Day. However, a small number of men from the 82nd did land in the town. 

The town hall itself does not have any links to fighting taking place in it. Many of the town’s memorials thought can be located outside the front. Inside, the stars and stripes of the USA flag, from the 3rd Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) is displayed. This is the exact flag that was originally flown over Naples, Italy following its liberation and then came to Sainte-Mere-Eglise with the unit in 1944. The flag flew over the liberated town. It remains here as a memorial to the unit. 

The town was liberated at around 05:00 on 6 June following the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel’s Edward Krause and Benjamin H. Vandervoort after skirmishes and forcing the Germans out. The road outside the front of the town hall would also become a key feature over the coming days which allowed the airborne units to link up and have a supply and evacuation route to Neuville-au-Plain to the north. 

The memorials out the front commemorate both senior airborne officers Major General Ridgway of the 82nd and Major General Taylor of the 101st. A small plaque can be located next to the memorial remembering French residents of the town who fought in both war and died. This refers to the town being the first to be liberated on D-Day, although would be heavily contested by the men of the British 6th Airborne Division who liberated Ranville. 

To the side of the town hall is a car park, this is the location where Segreants Randleman and Lipton of Easy Company, 506th PIR, US 101st Airborne Division landed after parachuting down. They had been miss dropped about 10km from their designated drop zone. Accounts state that it is where Segreant Lipton saw a sign with ‘Sainte-Mere-Eglise’ written on it and he was very quickly able to establish where he was before moving off with other men back towards their objectives. These two men are extensively featured in the HBO series, Band of Brothers.