The 81st anniversary of the famous U.S.-led D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, was recently commemorated.Less well-known are the battles during the days and weeks that followed in Normandy, which helped secure the massive beachhead, so the allies could go on and defeat Nazi Germany in World II.One of those clashes was at a bridge over a small river near the town of Sainte-Mère-Église. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division landed near there early on the morning of June 6, 1944. They had to hold the position against Germans threatening American forces who came ashore at Utah beach, one of the main