Fortin and Genevieve Marie, and as the town
veered back and forth from German control
to American, they refused to give up their
post. When the Germans retook the town
and burst into the church, they saw Bob and
Ken treating Germans and Americans alike,
and left them to their work. The windows
were shattered, the roof hit by mortar, and
over the three days, they never slept, but
continued to make forays outside to bring
back and treat more wounded. There was
only one rule--there were no weapons al-
lowed inside the church. Rifles had to be
left outside at the door.
When the Americans finally captured the
town for good, Bob and Ken were relieved
of their duties and the wounded removed to
local facilities. They went on to serve in Op-
eration Market Garden and the Battle of the
Bulge, and were awarded Silver Star medals
for their actions in Normandy. Seventy-sev-
en of their patients survived.
Visiting the church, Guillaume points out
the bloodstains which still color the oak
pews, untouched by the villagers as a re-
minder of what happened here. The stained-
glass windows that were lost in the war
were replaced by ones paying tribute to the
paratroopers, and to Ken and Bob. Guillau-
me points to the 8th century saints to whom
the church was originally dedicated, and the
medicine bottles in their hands. Cosmas
and Damien, twin saints who were doctors,
are the patron saints of all healers and 700
years before Bob and Ken performed their
own miracles here, the church was built to
honor the pair.
