QUIET REFLECTION IN NORMANDY, FRANCE

WE DROVE ON MOSTLY BACKROADS TO GET TO THE OMAHA BEACH AREA FROM TROUVILLE.  THIS IS ALSO WHERE THE AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY AND VISITORS CENTER IS LOCATED.  THE DAY WAS LITERALLY SUNNY ONE MINUTE AND THEN STORMY THE NEXT.  AT FIRST I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE WEATHER BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT IT ACTUALLY LENT ITSELF WELL TO THE MOODINESS OF THE VISIT.

OMAHA BEACH WAS THE LARGEST OF THE 5 BEACHES INVOLVED IN THE D-DAY INVASION AT 6 MILES LONG.  THE GERMANS HAD FORTIFIED THEIR DEFENSES WITH MINES AND A SUBSTANTIAL TRENCH SYSTEM.  THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO HAVE THE INFANTRY TROOPS LAND ALONGSIDE AMPHIBIOUS SHERMAN TANKS BUT 27 OF THE 29 TANKS NEVER MADE IT BECAUSE THEY RELEASED THEM TOO FAR OUT AND THE SWELL WAS TOO MUCH FOR THEM AND THEY WERE SWAMPED.  THEY SANK ALONG WITH THEIR CREWS, NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO HELP THEM.  THE TROOPS ON THE BEACH NEVER GOT THEIR ARMORED COVER THAT THEY EXPECTED.

SOME ORIGINAL SHOTS OF D-DAY FROM THE INTERNET

THIS IS THE MONUMENT ON OMAHA BEACH.  IT IS ENTITLES "LES BRAVES" AND IT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT IN HONOR OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY IN 2004;  

THE SCULPTURE HAS 3 ELEMENTS;  BELOW IS THE DESCRIPTION IN THE WORDS OF SCULPTOR:

"THE WINGS OF HOPE" SO THAT THE SPIRIT WHICH CARRIED THESE MEN ON JUNE 6, 1944 CONTINUES TO INSPIRE US, REMINDING US THAT TOGETHER IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE.

"RISE OF FREEDOM" SO THAT THE EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO ROSE UP AGAINST BARBARITY, HELPS US REMAIN STANDING STRONG AGAINST ALL FORMS OF INHUMANITY.

"THE WINGS OF FRATERNITY" SO THAT THE SURGE OF BROTHERHOOD ALWAYS REMINDS US OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS OTHERS AS WELL AS OURSELVES.

THERE WERE 31 GERMAN SOLDIERS HOLED UP AT THIS PART OF THE BEACH.  THERE WERE TWO BUNKERS - ONLY ONE OF WHICH WAS FORTIFIED WITH WEAPONRY.  THEY DID A FIERCE JOB OF GUNNING DOWN 627 AMERICANS TRYING TO MAKE IT UP THIS HILL BUT ULTIMATELY THERE AMMUNITION WAS DEPLETED.  THREE OF THE GERMAN SURVIVORS ESCAPED AND MADE IT TO NEARBY COLLEVILLE  

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE STEEP CLIFFS IS UTAH BEACH; ANOTHER LANDING SPOT FOR AMERICAN TROOPS

THE ONLY WAY OFF THE BEACH WAS TO SCALE THE CLIFFS AND HILLS.  THE GERMAN TROOPS FOUGHT HARD BUT BY MID-DAY THEY WERE WEAKENING AND BY NIGHTFALL THE AMERICANS HAD GAINED A FOOTHOLD ON THE BEACH.  4,000 AMERICANS DIDN'T MAKE IT UP THOSE CLIFFS BETWEEN UTAH AND OMAHA BEACHES.  BUT 34,000 TROOPS FROM AMERICA, GREAT BRITAIN, CANADA AND FRANCE DID MAKE IT AND THE ALLIED TROOPS WERE TAKING CONTROL.

627 NAMES OF THE SOLDIERS KILLED AT THIS BEACH ARE ETCHED IN THIS MONUMENT.

THE MUSEUM AT THE VISITORS CENTER IS REALLY GREAT.   AFTER GOING THROUGH A METAL DETECTOR YOU PROCEED TO THE EXHIBITS DOWNSTAIRS.  THERE ARE A COUPLE OF VIDEOS TO SEE WHICH PERSONALIZE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES OF A FEW SOLDIERS WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK.  I MUST ADMIT IT REALLY MAKES YOU TEAR UP TO SEE THOSE FACES AND REALIZE HOW YOUNG THESE MEN WERE - THE AGE OF OUR OWN SON, BRIAN - AND REALIZING THAT THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS AHEAD FOR THEM.  IT MUST HAVE BEEN GUT-WRENCHING IN THOSE BOATS WAITING.  AND, OF COURSE, KNOWING THAT MY FATHER SPENT TIME IN FRANCE, BELGIUM AND GERMANY FIGHTING AFTER D-DAY.  

THE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL IS A SHORT WALK FROM THE MUSEUM.  TWO DAYS AFTER D-DAY, ON JUNE 8, 1944 THE U.S. FIRST ARMY ESTABLISHED A TEMPORARY CEMETERY.  THE CURRENT CEMETERY IS LOCATED JUST EAST OF THE ORIGINAL SITE.  THERE ARE 9,387 AMERICANS BURIED HERE. THERE IS ONE MAN HERE WHO WAS NOT KILLED IN WORLD WAR 2 AND THAT IS QUENTIN ROOSEVELT, SON OF PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND BROTHER OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT JR.  THEODORE JR. LANDED AT UTAH BEACH.  HE SURVIVED AFTER ACHIEVING HEROIC OBJECTIVES WHICH ARE PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIE, THE LONGEST DAY.  HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACH ON JULY 12, 1944.  HIS BROTHER DIED DURING WORLD WAR 1.  HIS BODY WAS EXHUMED AND BURIED NEXT TO HIS BROTHER HERE AT NORMANDY.

TWO OTHER BROTHERS ARE BURIED HERE; THEY ARE 2 OF THE NILAND BROTHERS.  THEIR STORY IS WHAT THE MOVIE "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN" IS LOOSELY BASED UPON.

THE NAMES OF 1,557 AMERICANS WHOSE REMAINS WERE NEVER FOUND ARE INSCRIBED IN THE WALLS OF THE SEMI-CIRCULAR GARDEN.  ALSO ON THE PROPERTY IS A TIME CAPSULE CONTAINING NEWS REPORTS OF THE EVENTS OF JUNE 6, 1944.  IT IS TO BE OPENED ON JUNE 6, 2044.