Normandy, France
Reminiscent of weather on June 6, 1944, we set off under gray skies to visit and pay our respects to the landing beaches, battlefields and cemeteries along the coast of Normandy. Driving east first to the Orne River estuary we stopped at Pegasus Bridge, which the British 6th Airborne captured in the first engagement of the battle at 0015 hours on the 6th.
The rain began in earnest as we dove out to the coast heading west past SWORD, JUNO and GOLD Beaches in the British and Canadian sectors of the front. Our next stop was Arromanches to view the remains of the massive artificial harbor that was built in front of the beach there. The first pre-fab deepwater facility, it was named Port Winston in honor of Churchill who was behind the idea of its construction. The quiet seaside villages and small villas are peaceful today, but the bomb-cratered, bunker-filled landscape will be a permanent testament to the violent events that took place here 66 years ago.
The sun came out briefly as we strolled through the garden and arboretum surrounding Chateau de la Cheneviere. We all enjoyed a short respite and wonderful lunch at the chateau before moving on to the American Cemetery at Colleville. It was humbling to stand on the cliffs and remember the sacrifices that were made there by so many young men as they stormed onto the wide beaches below. After a brief orientation in front of the powerful 7-meter high bronze statue depicting the souls of American youth, we joined many others walking respectively between the rows of west-facing 9,386 white marble crosses. It was an equally contemplative group that later walked out onto the sand flats towards the incoming sea at OMAHA Beach in the shadow of a new memorial representing the waves of men and equipment that came ashore on June 6, 1944.
Continuing on our westward journey our next stop was Pointe du Hoc where the Germans had built a massive artillery battery on top of a high promontory. Today, one of the most visited battlefields in the area, this facility posed a major threat to both OMAHA and UTAH beaches and the task of subduing this battery was given to the US 2nd Ranger Battalion. Their feat of scaling the cliffs, capturing and holding this position under withering fire is permanently etched onto this exposed landscape scarred by sustained aerial bombardment. Our final stop was the church at St. Mère-Église where the stained glass windows commemorate the town’s liberation by the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Miraculously, the sun made its appearance as we strolled through the flower filled square, an uplifting finale to a dramatic day.
