This is one of the monuments that is on Utah Beach but I thought it was an appopriate start to today's post. We took an all-day tour of the area with an established tour guide company. We started at the German cemetery. Then we went to Saint Mer-Eglise where the American parachuter got caught on the church spire which many will remember from the movie "The Longest Day". He survived, but was sent to a prison camp.
The next stop was Utah Beach, where we learned that relatively few Americans died because the early air bombings were successful. This picture is of Utah Beach.
We next toured Pointe Du Hoc, from where the Germans could hit both Utah Beach and Omaha Beach with the big guns.
Check out the pictures of the fortified bunkers at pointe du Hoc that we are posting.
We then toured Omaha Beach, where the Americans had the most difficulty. This is where the opening of the film, Saving Private Ryan, was set. But it was filmed in Ireland. The end of the beach is not at all what is depicted in the movie. But the beaches here are massive!
Stretching a half mile at low tide. We finished at the American Cemetery. Clearly the most emotional part of the day. Flowers were everywhere. Very impressive! The statue at the cemetery is entitled "The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves.
1 comment:
I am loving the blog. It looks like you had sunshine in Normandy but cold. We are supposed to have thunderstorms. Oh well. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
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