After Paris, we traveled to the north of France by bus. Our destination was the city of Caen, site of massive World War II bombardments, and home of a monumental World War II museum. We could have easily spent the entire day inside this museum. Using photos, uniforms, bullets, books, video, diaries, and a barrage of sound, the museum communicated the panic in France as the Nazis invaded and the slow path towards liberation. Most interesting were the stories of little-known spies and saboteurs (some 16 years old) who worked behind German lines and faced grim execution to free Europe. The power of Nazi empire, the evil of its leaders, and the confusion of war came together in a fascinating and thought-provoking display.
We left Caen in the cool and rainy afternoon to drive to the American Cemetery on the Normandy beaches. Geoffrey, our guide, was thoughtful and intentional about showing us the sacrifice of thousands of young men in the name of freedom. We walked silently through a sea of white marble crosses, each simply inscribed with name, rank, and place of birth. Most bore the date of death as June 6th, 1945. Geoffrey showed the beauty of the place as he turned our attention to the gentle slope of the crosses toward the open sky and blue water of the Normandy beaches. The white marble caught the deep gold of the sinking sun as taps was played and the American flag slowly lowered to signal the end of day.
Continuing on by bus, we went to Pointe du Hoc, sight of a special Ranger mission on D-Day, 1945. Here, on top of sheer sea cliffs, sat countless German bunkers and gun emplacements, fortified with strong cables and thick concrete. Although heavily bombed leading up to the invasions, most of the guns and bunkers remained unscathed. So, two Ranger battalions were tasked with scaling the cliffs and disabling the German guns. The Rangers used ropes to climb and neutralized the guns, but not without sustaining heavy casualties – once they were at the top, they were isolated from Allied support and had to fend off German counter-attacks alone.
We got to walk into the very bunkers they later blew up, and see massive, grass-filled holes where shells exploded. From our height, we could see down to Omaha and Utah beaches. Wind whipped our faces and a light rain fell as we looked out to sea.
Finally, we drove to Omaha Beach. There, we walked (or ran) across the sand where so many Americans and Allied fighters fell. Geoffrey pointed out a beautiful sculpture dedicated to the men, and especially to one Division, almost all of whom died, and almost all of whom were from the same town. It showed a soldier, wounded and fallen, being held up and pulled to safety by his buddy.
That night, we stayed in Bayeux. The next day would include a fantastic tour of the centuries-old Bayeux Tapestry, originally hand-embroidered in the 11th century to celebrate the victory of William the Conqueror and the French Normans over the English at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Our guide was Jacques, a colorful local who regaled us with stories from Bayeux and entertained us with his banter.
Sadly, we had to leave Bayeux after only a few hours, to drive four hours to the port of Calais. Just like William the Conqueror, we were heading to England!
We left Caen in the cool and rainy afternoon to drive to the American Cemetery on the Normandy beaches. Geoffrey, our guide, was thoughtful and intentional about showing us the sacrifice of thousands of young men in the name of freedom. We walked silently through a sea of white marble crosses, each simply inscribed with name, rank, and place of birth. Most bore the date of death as June 6th, 1945. Geoffrey showed the beauty of the place as he turned our attention to the gentle slope of the crosses toward the open sky and blue water of the Normandy beaches. The white marble caught the deep gold of the sinking sun as taps was played and the American flag slowly lowered to signal the end of day.
Continuing on by bus, we went to Pointe du Hoc, sight of a special Ranger mission on D-Day, 1945. Here, on top of sheer sea cliffs, sat countless German bunkers and gun emplacements, fortified with strong cables and thick concrete. Although heavily bombed leading up to the invasions, most of the guns and bunkers remained unscathed. So, two Ranger battalions were tasked with scaling the cliffs and disabling the German guns. The Rangers used ropes to climb and neutralized the guns, but not without sustaining heavy casualties – once they were at the top, they were isolated from Allied support and had to fend off German counter-attacks alone.
We got to walk into the very bunkers they later blew up, and see massive, grass-filled holes where shells exploded. From our height, we could see down to Omaha and Utah beaches. Wind whipped our faces and a light rain fell as we looked out to sea.
Finally, we drove to Omaha Beach. There, we walked (or ran) across the sand where so many Americans and Allied fighters fell. Geoffrey pointed out a beautiful sculpture dedicated to the men, and especially to one Division, almost all of whom died, and almost all of whom were from the same town. It showed a soldier, wounded and fallen, being held up and pulled to safety by his buddy.
That night, we stayed in Bayeux. The next day would include a fantastic tour of the centuries-old Bayeux Tapestry, originally hand-embroidered in the 11th century to celebrate the victory of William the Conqueror and the French Normans over the English at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Our guide was Jacques, a colorful local who regaled us with stories from Bayeux and entertained us with his banter.
Sadly, we had to leave Bayeux after only a few hours, to drive four hours to the port of Calais. Just like William the Conqueror, we were heading to England!