France - Part 2: Normandy

Our tour in France continued up into Normandy. Jaren and I met my Mom and Dad at a Bed and Breakfast in a town called Villers - Bocage. It was a fully functioning farm, with beatific scenery.

It was even equipped with a new-born horse. This little one was born only two days before our arrival. So cute!!!

My tour of the D Day beaches included (but not limited to): Omaha Beach, Pointe Du Hoc, Arromanches, and Sur La Mer.

At Arromanches (Gold Beach), I learned about Winston Churchill's leadership of the Allied counterattacks, and his vision of the floating artillery base. Without Arromanche, the Allied forces would never have been able to get the supplies (tanks, ammunition, food, etc) to the troops. They made floating bridges to land that worked with the tide. It was a technological brilliance that led to the Allied victory. Here are the beaches of Arromanches, in the distance you can see some of the remains from the docking stations:


This is at Sur La Mer. These are some of the only German guns that weren't totally ransacked after WWII for their metal. Somehow they were mostly preserved, and left for people to see. They are a horrifying reminder of what the troops didn't even see that they were facing. They are approximately 1/2 mile from the coastline - and could shoot across the English Channel.

This is the observation point in front of the German guns. They would radio to the guns where the fire was landing, and how to adjust. Jaren and my father both made the comment that it would have been crazy to be in this post with huge guns blasting shells past your head. The sheer noise of it would have been gut-wrenching.
This is me overlooking the cliffs down to the beaches. Of to my right is Arromanches, and to my left is Omaha. (You can't see either in this picture).

I found this amazing picture of Omaha Beach - and then took it's modern day equivalent. The feeling at this beach was sacred. I knew that I was walking on ground where people fought for freedom. I was overwhelmed by the pure numbers, and the staggering losses felt by so many countries. The United States was not alone at D day, and I think that it was an important thing for me to remember.

This is a picture that I found of the rangers scaling their ladders at Pointe Du Hoc. They would take grappling hooks and shoot them up the cliffs. They would then take all of their gear, guns, and spirit and haul themselves up these lines - while being shot at from above by enemy fire. Reports state that more than half the rangers did not make it. This is Pointe Du Hoc as well, only modern day. The land is scarred by the craters left from the bombs that were dropped. It was one of the only war memorials that we visited where extensive landscaping was not done to cover up (or even out) the land.
This is the American cemetery at Omaha Beach. This picture only shows less than a quarter of the graves. The feeling here is quiet. I wiped tears from my eyes watching my father and husband (Dad was in the Navy and Jaren is in the Army) thank their fallen fellow men for their service. I was emotionally exhausted trying to comprehend the horrors of this war. I was unable to fathom the sacrifices made by so many, and those that are continually made during my lifetime, and in the current wars.
"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifice."

- Harry S. Truman