Ah, Bonjour! Day 6

Je suis devaste 

Today there was but one shore excursion--to the beaches of Normandy.

The day began with a bus ride through the Norman countryside, a nice opportunity to view life beyond city limits.  The weather was predicted to be cold and rainy, yet once again it erred on the side of warmer and sunnier.

We began the day at the Caen Normandy Museum.  As we discussed it later, the general consensus was this museum provided an outstanding perspective on what lead to WWII and also why the Germans succumbed to Hitler's propaganda.  We also agreed that parallels to what is going on in America today are bone chilling.

If these numbers don't keep you up at night or give you nightmares, I'm not sure what would.

A film presents an unflinching look at war itself in some of what I found to be the most graphic footage of especially the aftermath of battle, and its effects on the French towns impacted by the D-Day invasion.  No Hollywood set dresser can come close to what the devastation is.  The most compelling aspect of the film, for me, was when the film would slow and draw focus on someone's face in which was reflected the horrors of war.  Soldiers.  Townspeople.  Children.  Injured.  Captured being taken prisoner.  No wise guy scripted lines, as in a movie, just the sheer terror of what was the reality of life.  One continues to haunt me: a young German soldier, handsome as the day is long, quaking in fear as he is being lined up with his fellow soldiers and being brought into American custody.  We forget that we sent babies to war on both sides and asked them to commit unspeakable acts.  

From there, we drove over to the Normandy American Cemetery.  It is overseen by the American Battle Monuments Commission, an interesting organization unto itself.  It is an independent agency of the federal government that administers, operates and maintains permanent US cemeteries, memorials and monuments predominantly outside the United States.  Staff will assist loved ones in finding their soldiers' grave and conduct a memorial service with them, should they so choose, at the grave site.  The families of Americans who died at Normandy were given a choice of whether to have their loved one buried in Normandy or their remains returned to the United States for burial.  According to our guide, the US is the only country of the Allies to offer this to families, as the others follow the guideline of burying the soldier where he died.  Over 2 million visited the Normandy American Cemetery last year.  

                                            

                                                View of Omaha beach from the cemetery

Sculpture at the actual memorial

The Memorial Staff conducted a service for our tour group.  The National Anthem, then Taps were played, a wreath was laid, and then members of the group who had served in the military were asked to come forward and be recognized.  A most compelling, beautifully emotional moment.

Maps inside the memorial wall showing the military operations on the Western Front.

The ceiling above the maps.  This photo doesn't do it justice.

Europe is covered in graffiti, but not a single drop of ink on any of these monuments.  A sense of reverence and respect covers the area. 

                                                

D-Day Memorial selfie.  We're standing in front of a wall at the rear of the monuments, paying tribute to the soldiers whose lives were lost but bodies never recovered for burial.  The Allied forces confirmed over 10,000 dead on June 4, 1944 itself, over 5,000 wounded. German casualties were estimated at 4,000-9,000.  In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 more Allied soldiers died, 153,000 wounded.  Allied bombings of French towns killed over 20,000 French civilians, leaving many towns in nothing but rubble.  The scars of both Allied and German force bombings can be found throughout this area.

I spent a little time in the Visitor Center which had amazing displays and artifacts from the landings on the beaches.  I wish there had been more time to do more than wander through.

The final stop of the day was Omaha beach itself.  The area has reverted over the years to a beach village, which is was before the Normandy landings, with these significant differences.

Soldiers not only had to land on the beach, but then had to make their way up the cliffs inland, facing German guns embedded in bunkers.

This memorial is known as The Brave and it is covered twice a day with high tide, just as the soldiers, depending on the time they landed, were covered with the high tide.

My brother Joe and I took an opportunity to wade into the English Channel.

The overwhelming sense of emotion experienced by, I'll go out on a limb here and say everyone, is beyond my descriptive capabilities.  This will stay with me a long time.