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Vignette top view, showing beach indentations highlighted via enamel Dark Earth paint wash. Men armed with M1 Garand rifle, standard WW2 issue for US Army infantrymen. M1 Garand was first semi-automatic rifle issued to regular infantry (semi-auto rifles previously issued to early 20th-century special or assault forces, such as US Marines).
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Rifle named after its designer John  Garand, weapon was used in WW2, Korean War, and Vietnam War. By 1957 it was replaced by M14 semi-auto rifle, M14 was replaced by M16 combat automatic rifle by 1967. M1 Garand rifle - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garand
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Inset 1 : Handsome piece of American history, M1 Garand showcased by Front Armory, firm specialized in arms replicates and restorations. Grooved lug beneath gun barrel is for M1 Bayonet. M1 Garand builds, repairs, restoration and refinishing - www.frontlinearmory.com/m1/m1.htm
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Semi-automatic rifle design used partial exhaust gas during gun firing to eject and load next cartridge, hence maintain momentum, volume, and accuracy of firing resolution. However, concept of arming infantry with semi-auto rifles was controversial throughout early 20th-century in all major armies of US, German, British, Soviets alike. As a matter of usability, Army conservative leaders feared infantrymen would waste bullets via excessive firing rather than properly aim the weapon. However, WW2 shown a rifle was capable of hitting targets out to 2,000 yards, but majority of combat took place within 600 yards, hence one need "Volume of Fire" for close enemy engagements. Thus, US swung in favor of semi-auto rifles deployment. Semi-automatic rifle - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-automatic_rifle
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Concerning M1 Garand designation, US military nomenclature has propensity of using same M-numeric designation with different weapon systems. For example, M1 must have accompanying weapon system name, or one would have to interpret from context what it meant. M1 could refer to M1 Abrams tank, M1 Garand rifle, M1 bayonet, M1 carbine, M1 helmet, M1 combat car, M1 Thompson submachine gun, M1 mortar, M1 Super90 shotgun, M1 120mm anti-aircraft gun, etc. M1 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1
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Rollover : Superglued metal washers underneath display base, thus giving platform slight raised setting. Washers were inexpensive parts purchased at Walmart. CD disc's open center plugged with US Penny. The Penny (cent) is most produced US currency, used mainly as spare change during paper currency transactions, hence quickly leaves circulation since majority of US public do not want to carry it. Regular debates ensued about eliminating Penny denominations altogether to streamlining banking and currency production by rounding up to the Nickel (5 cents), but that means US public would immediately absolve 4-pennies in all financial holdings and currencies, hence give windfall to government coffers (ex. Pennies add up, multiply 300 million Americans by loss of 4 Pennies results in 1.2 billion pennies or 12 million dollars). Needless to state, every time Penny debate is brought up, it is immediately squashed by sensitive politicians. Should the penny go? - money.cnn.com/2002/04/11/pf/q_pennies/
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Inset 1 : Blue-Grey shoulder patch spiral pattern. For the model figures, copied graphic into Microsoft  Powerpoint for ease of resizing. Once scaled dimension was set, printed image onto white water-soluble decal sheet. Circular patch cut from decal sheet and transferred to model figures. Placed two Blue-Grey patch decals onto each figure to reduce transparency effect. All About Omaha Beach - www.omaha-beach.org/The%20Beach/TheBeach.html
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Contrasted with US M1 Garand rifle, majority of WW2 German infantrymen used bolt-action Kar98 rifle due to deployment doctrines and logistical challenges. German units by default had larger complement of machine guns (ex. MG34, M42 machine guns), hence role of infantrymen was to protect machine gunner flanks as former laid down curtain of fire during the advance (this role was reversed in US Army). Germans appreciated arming all infantrymen with semi-automatic rifles (Gewehr 43) and world's first assault rifles (Sturmgewehr 44), but her industry was never able to sufficiently supply all troops before war's end. German Weapons of WW2 - www.diggerhistory.info/pages-weapons/enemy_ww2.htm
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Inset 2 : Close-up of stylized 29th Infantry Division shield , multi-color furl with its  motto "Twenty-Nine Let's Go". As noted, division's nickname was "Blue and Grey" which reflected former Federal/Confederate States of Virginia and Maryland where most recruits were drawn. 29th Infantry Division (Light) "Blue and Grey" - www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/29id.htm
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In addition, last US Civil War 1861-1865 official reunion took place in 1939, thus Blue-Grey symbolized America's socio-political unification since Civil War era since there were still surviving veterans from that conflict. Last surviving United States war veterans - www.bookrags.com/Last_surviving_United_States_war_veterans
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Legacy of American Civil War aftermath permeated into 1970s with southern US States voting in so-called "Solid South" block for Democratic Party for almost 100 years, ostensibly to punish northern Liberal Republicans for harsh occupation of southern States during post-war Reconstruction Era. This voting block was finally broken by Republican President Richard Nixon in 1971 election. Within 10 years, southern US States would reserve their political allegiances and allied with Conservative factions of Republican Party. Solid South - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_South
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