Villebout, Centre-Val-de-Loire, France

In the Fréteval Forest, on the northern side of the D24, lies a site of profound courage and hidden history. Located just 1,300 meters east of the D19 intersection between Estivareilles and Yron, these woodlands became a lifeline for 152 downed Allied airmen, including over 60 Americans, who were sheltered by the French Resistance as they sought a path to freedom. Among those downed airmen were two men from the 384th Bomb Group: 2nd Lt. Abraham Wiseman⇗ (Navigator) and Sgt. Alfred Irwin Holt⇗ (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner).

Today, a monument stands in the clearing to honor the French Resistance and the lives they saved. It bears a simple, but powerful inscription in French: "ICI VECURENT SAUVES PAR LA RESISTANCE. 152 AVIATEURS. ALLIES MAI-AOUT 1944." Translated into English, it serves as a lasting reminder of the lives preserved there: "152 Allied aviators were saved here by the Resistance between May and August 1944." 

Further details about the memorial, location, and the 150 other Allied airmen, can be found on American War Memorials Overseas, Inc.⇗