WWII US Army European Theater of Operation ETO Invasion Beach Sand 2024 Map History

2024 Now you can commemorate the US Army's sacrifice in the European Theater of Operation (ETO). This plaque displays the actual sand from all the US Army landing beaches as well as honoring all the US Army's Combat Divisions (ETO).

Made of red alder wood, this handsome laser-engraved plaque is the only collectible to include the actual sand from the seven main invasion landing beaches in the Torch, Husky, Avalanche, Shingle, Overlord, and Dragoon operations conducted in Northern Africa (Fedala), Italy (Sicily, Salerno and Anzio), France (Normandy and Southern France) .

Certain to become a centerpiece of your World War II collection, and an heirloom for your family, this special ETO Plaque is available for only $119.99. Each plaque will come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Don't miss your chance to honor our heroes and own a piece of history!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where was the sand collected from for the US Army Landing and Operations plaque?

After researching the landing sites for the US Army invasion of Europe, the sand was collected in Morocco (Torch), Sicily (Husky), Italy (Avalanche & Shingle), Northern France (Overlord), and Southern France (Dragoon).

Why does the sand from each landing beach appear so different from the others?

Beaches come in many colors: white, black, tan, yellow, red, and more. The geology of the surrounding area determines the color of those rocks. This determines what material is available for a beach. The colors are from the different rocks and minerals that make up the sand. The color of the sand on any particular beach usually reflects the surrounding landscape and the makeup of the adjoining ocean floor.

Will you have a limited number of your ETO Plaques available?

No, these plaques will not be limited in numbers.

I have heard that you can find bits of shrapnel in the sand. Is that true?

Amazingly enough, you can. It does appear that you can find iron/steel in the Normandy sand. We initially were able to locate the shrapnel in the sand from Omaha Beach so far, though research indicates it is possible to find it in all the invasion beaches. Some research indicates that up to 4% of the make up of the sand is shrapnel. When you get your plaque, place a strong magnet over the vial of Omaha Beach sand and you might be able to attract very, very small particles to the magnet. All the sand from Omaha that we have tested to date has shown this to be true. We now have just found pieces of schrapnel in the Utah and Gold sand also!! Good luck!!!!

Surprisingly enough to us, we have found iron/steel in all the other beach sand except Fedala to this point.

How much sand is in each vial?

Each vial contains 5/8 dram, or 1/12th of an ounce of sand.

What is the size of my plaque?

Each plaque is 9” x 12” and ¾” thick and weighs just over 24 ounces.

Will the wood of my plaque look different than the one that you show?

Wood is a natural product, and no two plaques will look the same. Some will be darker, some will be lighter, and some will have a different wood grain. The plaques we are using are red alder wood.

How can I display my plaque?

The plaque has a keyhole cut out on the back to hang it on the wall. Another way to display your plaque would be to purchase a small easel, or upright plate display stand (remember the plaque weighs over 1 ½ pounds). This seems to be the preferred way to display the plaques.

Can I remove the vials from the plaque?

Yes, the vials can be removed with a little bit of effort. They are held in by the friction of the cap against the wood. You can carefully “wiggle” them out and push them back in. Remember, if you take the vials out, you should take out one at a time and replace it before looking at another. They are not marked as to which beach they belong to. You might have a plan to mark them yourselves so you can replace them in their correct slot. We have found that a small adhesive label (1/4” x ¾”or smaller) attached to the back of the vial will allow you to write the name of the beach and return it to its correct position on the plaque. A label this size cannot be seen from the front when displayed.

What is a certificate of authenticity?

A certificate of authenticity (COA) is commonly a seal on paper authenticating a specific art work which and is made to demonstrate that the item is authentic. COAs are mostly common in the art world. Generally speaking, a valid COA for an artwork will include specific details about the artwork like when and how it was produced, the names of people involved in the artwork's production, the work's exact title, and the names of reference.

Your COA will be printed, signed and notarized as to the collection, location, and provenance of the sand from the actual invasion beaches of the European Theater of Operation.

Is there a copyright on the plaque?

Yes we were granted a copyright on our European Theater of Operation plaque in 2016.

Have you gotten any reviews? Well, yes we have, take a look.......



Awesome! Great Gift! Was exactly as described. Would Buy it again in a heartbeat. My BF loved it!

Yes this is truly a unique piece with special meaning to me as my father was a combat infantryman 1st in n Africa then Sicily,Anzio Rome,southern France and finally Germany with the 45th infantry division

Thank you for the plaques, they are an important part of my collection. I use these types of items to teach my grandchildren about sacrifice and the cost of freedom. My grandchildren were very interested in the Normandy beach plaque during our holiday get togethers and a great opportunity to review WW2 history. I am a veteran who is a WW2 history buff, So are many of my buddies.

I like your website. I ordered the plaque as a Christmas gift so I did an internet search for "WW2 European Theater memorabilia" because that is what my brother said he was interested in and it was the most relevant link that came up.

They're plaques are very nice. I visited several of the landing sights about 10 years ago and regretted not saving some sand. You're website is very nice. It's simple and easy to navigate.

Thanks for the prompt and personalized service. That's something we don't get these days.I ordered it from today's Warfare History Network Dispatch. It's a birthday gift for my daughter Jaime, who turns 42 on 11/17. Her interest in WW II comes from my dad's service with Patton '44, '45 and her mom's dad in the Army Air Corps in Burma '42-

Ill be ordering the $100 plaque for my dad, my brother agrees its the absolute best so ill place my order this week. Might get him the other one for Christmas. So happy we saw you at Reading, perfect perfect fathers day present thank you for making them!

As a high school student, I traveled to Normandy with my class, and my father really loved that I brought him back some of the sand from the landing beaches. While looking for other kinds of things that might incorporate sand from the landings, I came across very little. I found some cuff links, but who wears those anymore? Then I found your plaques, which I was very impressed with. As Father's Day approaches, I was having a hard time finding something for my dad, who is famously hard to buy things for (he gets what he wants for himself, and never volunteers any ideas for things he'd like). Having seen the quality of these plaques (which arrived a day earlier than anticipated!), I know that he will love them and proudly incorporate them into his wall of memorabilia. Your site is very professional, and I appreciate the letters of authenticity that arrived with the plaques. We revisited the beaches as a family a few years ago, and I know that these will serve as a reminder of his time there, as well as a valued part of his historical collection. Thank you for your dedication to quality,

I bought this for my brother as a Christmas present. It arrived quickly and was well packaged. Map looks great.