Normandy

Where to begin, Wow. What a trip. The drive took forever, 400 miles roundtrip and both times we were helping keep our driver awake, I dozed off twice at least. We started out walking around the main American offensive on Omaha Beach. Omaha Beach as it turns out is a long stretch of beach, which we would see from three different spots. The picture included shows an overview of the main offensive, which is where the Germans were hunkered down in their bunkers. One of the reasons this battle was successful was because of the air support they received. If you look at the picture, you are not looking at rolling hills, but rather holes in the earth created by the bombs that were dropped. It was incredible to see up close. We visited the American Cemetery and it was amazing. Over 9 thousand graves, all aligned so whichever direction you look, they are in a straight line. It was so peaceful and tranquil. Such a beautiful place, the Americans have done an incredible job keeping everything well manicured. We went to another part of the beach to see the remains of some of the mulberry’s that were used, which are still washed up on the shore. Low-tide can cause the water to recede more than 45 meters. The beaches were huge. Sadly, that is why so many soldiers were lost in the first wave, as they landed in low-tide and several drowned once the tide rolled in (they were carrying approximately 90 lbs of gear each). It was a fascinating day. I have more pictures, which are hopefully accessible via a link, but I’m not sure how that works either. So much that I learned but I’m exhausted and have to pack and get on an early train for the airport tomorrow morning. Hopefully I’ll remember enough to write it all in my journal tomorrow.

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