Normandy. Where Americans will always be welcome.

Our next stop along the way was the beaches of Normandy. The history of the region is evident everywhere and the monuments, statues and memorials of the sacrifice made by the soldiers during WWII are plentiful. The french citizens of this region have hardly forgotten the sacrifices of the allies during WWII and the defeat of the Nazi army that began with D Day.

Our first stop was the city of Caen and its famous museum, Le Mémorial de Caen, un musée pour la paix - "The Caen Memorial, a Museum for Peace." Le Mémorial is an immense museum dedicated to WWII, including the events leading up to the war, D Day, the battle to save France, the allied victory, and the eventual rise of communism after the war. The majority of the museum is dedicated to D Day and the landings at the beaches of Normandy. I gained a much better knowledge of this massive undertaking and the numerous battles that took place after the landings. We were very proud to see all the memorabilia from the american forces, including letters home, jeeps, uniforms and great photos, all displayed in a proud way.


Other highlights from the museum include this sculpture (which was sort of the basis of the museum), a great film detailing the D Day landing, 9-11 memorabilia, a MIG-21 fighter and an atomic bomb (diffused).



The drive from Caen to the beaches of Normany was amazing...rolling farm land, stone fences, and old farms. We topped this hill in the photo and saw the Atlantic ocean. Reminants of the "artificial port", which the allies constructed to transfer supplies, still remain just off the beach in Arroramanches.


We stayed in a charming B&B in Omaha Beach about a 1 km from the ocean. The young family was wonderful and extremely nice. We picknicked on the terrace that night. Our fair included Normandy cider, some strong Normandy cheese, sausage, (both of which Whit didn't partake) fresh bread, strawberries, almonds, and homemade confiture (jelly). The next morning at breakfast we had another great conversation in French with our hosts. Apparently we were the first Americans to stay there.


Our next day started with one of the proudest and most emotional sights, The American Cemetery in Normandy. The cemetery was one of the most immaculate and cared after places that I have ever seen. We toured that museum where you can research any American who was part of the battle to liberate France. The photos of the D Day landings are amazing and the ambiance fells like you have been transported to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. Below are some photos:




The cemetery sits on the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach, which is where the US suffered the most casualties during D Day.


I also noticed that in this part of France the American flag is flown everywhere. Here is our flag with the Tricolor of France and the European Union flag. As you can tell it is windy there and it was cold as well. It was interesting to experience the weather at the same time of year as the landings. Although it is a beach, it is far from beach weather there this time of year.




Despite the wind, we enjoyed an after-dinner walk on the beach. The rainbow behind Whitney was definitely the highlight of the evening. It was difficult to imagine that such a peaceful, calm, and beautiful place could have been the sight of such a bloody battle.



Another stop along coastal road revealed an old Nazi gun battery with "pillboxes" and original guns. It was amazing to see how much infrastructure the Nazis put into place in such a short time. Their are still signs of the battle everywhere-like bullet holes in the pillboxes and these bomb craters below from Utah Beach.




We left the beaches of Normandy and stopped at a town that is not normally found in the guide books. St. Lo, France was a Nazi occupied city and was liberated by American forces shortly after the landings in a brutal battle due to its strategic location at the time.





In the city center there is a park dedicated to "The Major of St. Lo." "Le Major" as he is still known in St. Lo was Maj. Thomas D. Howie, a 1929 graduate from The Citadel, who lead American forces in liberating the city. His last words to his soldiers were "see you in St. Lo!." and then he was killed by German mortar. His soldiers carried his body, drapped under the American Flag, into the town and placed him in the church so as the American forces entered he was there to see them. This was the only monument or war tribute that we saw in the region that was dedicated to an individual. Read more about "Le Major" here: http://www.citadel.edu/pao/newsreleases/sy02-03/major_howie.html



Next stop: Le Mont St. Michel......circa 700 AD.