It started out a little bumpy. A missed bus. Lots of traffic. An hour-long unintended detour (AKA we were lost). A nearly-missed, and then super-delayed ferry to France. A closed hotel at 2 am. Driving through the streets of Normandy searching for a phone, a person, or anything promising until 3 am. Let me tell you, it was crazy. But a prayer was said and a miracle granted. We found a person who not only spoke French (which unfortunately no one on the trip could speak fluently, especially at 3 am!) but also spoke Portuguese, the language Rob learned on his mission. They were able to communicate, the man called our hotel and convinced the owner to open the door for us late-arrivers, and we finally settled into our home-away-from-home in the wee hours of the morning. What a blessing! I'm pleased to say that the trip was smooth-sailing from then on out.
The first leg of the trip was in Normandy, a region rich with beauty and history. While looking at these gorgeous pebble beaches it was hard to imagine that early morning in June 1944 when 175,000 men stormed the beaches of Normandy. On Omaha Beach alone (shown below), 5,000 of the 50,000 soldiers who landed were killed on D-Day. It was sobering to be on that beautiful beach knowing brave men of our past took their last steps in that same location.
The weather couldn't have been nicer. The sky was blue, light marshmallowy clouds, warm sunshine and light wind. The Ellises told me they always get lucky with weather on vacations, and we were so happy that they pulled threw for us! Here are the four men of the trip standing on Omaha Beach.
The hills surrounding Omaha Beach are covered with remnants from World War II. We spent a long time hiking the area, admiring the water and discovering old bunkers. Some are very apparent, like the one shown below:
And other's are only found by accident. Like this one:
Upon further exploration, Katherine found the door to that bunker Verlan is looking into above. We loved going inside, and imagining the feelings, thoughts and actions of the soldiers who once occupied that space.
To give you an idea of the size of the entrance, here is a picture of Talmage walking through the door. Have I mentioned yet how angelic he was on this trip? We couldn't fit the stroller into the car, so he had to walk or be carried the whole time. We kept him up late, woke him up early, did not have scheduled nap-times and fed him french fries for pretty much every meal and yet he smiled, laughed and was a total joy, surprisingly so. What a good little traveler. I seriously love this kid!
After leaving Omaha Beach, we visited Pointe du Hoc, an incredible beach with stunning 100 foot cliffs. Before dawn on D Day, Rangers silently climbed the cliffs in hope of finding the German coastal defense guns which they could then attack and destroy. Things didn't go quite as planned. The guns were moved prior to the Rangers' attack, and they had to press farther inward than expected. The mission was successful, but they lost 60 percent of their men in the process. There is a nice monument and look-out point set up in their honor.
The most sobering part of the trip was our visit to the American cemetery in Normandy. More than 9,000 American soldiers who gave up their lives in WWII are honored in this cemetery. The lush grounds right on the water were overwhelmingly beautiful and touching. I loved the American flag flying proudly in the sky. I was moved by the quotes which were shared on the different monuments. I was emotional when I saw my two boys walking hand and hand through the crosses, knowing that mother's just like me lost husbands and sons just like them. It was an incredible experience.
"If ever proof were needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest it could be found in these cemeteries. Here was our only conquest: All we asked...was enough soil in which to bury our gallant dead."
General Mark W. Clarke Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1969-1984
"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can. Yet there is one thing to be said on the credit side. Victory requited a mighty manifestation of the most ennobling virtues of man--faith, courage, fortitude, sacrifice."
"You can manufacture weapons and you can purchase ammunition, but you can't buy valor and you can't pull heroes off an assembly line. "
During our visit to Normandy, we also saw the Bayeux Tapestry, a 230 foot long embroidered cloth which depicts the Norman conquest of England. It was beautiful, and considering it is approximately 950 years old, very impressive.
Another highlight, the Caen Castle. It is one of the largest medieval fortress in Eastern Europe and was built in 1060 by William the Conqueror. We were able to walk along the walls and had an awesome view of the city.
Me and T successfully storming the upper wall of the castle!
Certainly visiting those areas gives you a great appreciation for what brave men did on the behalf of liberty and freedom. Thank you for the history lesson, it gave me lots to think about and lots to be grateful for. I'm so glad that you got to have this experience. I can't wait for the....rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteDear Heath,
ReplyDeleteThis comment is to remind you that you are a great blogger and that I, your husband, appreciate your excellent posts. You are the best wife a man could ever ask for. I love you forever and hope that we will be able to share many more fun experiences together (like the one in France and Belgium)!
With love,
J
Great pics and good to see how much your family appreciated what took place in Normandy so many years ago. I doubt anyone 50 years from now will travel to Baghdad or any of the places we fought in Iraq and think about the sacrifices were made. But it is good to see some people still care about this. Take care. Eric
ReplyDelete