9387

My dad has always been interested in World War II history,  so I decided that during this trip, I'd try to see as much as I could for him. I did my best to report back after each of my field trips, but this day was tough to put into words.

The organization I worked with does a big excursion day every summer where they take all the students to various WWII/D-Day sites in Normandy, but I was going to be in Paris the day they planned it, so one of the local church members volunteered to take a couple of us one Sunday.

We went to church, then drove to the American WWII cemetery, located right above Omaha Beach. First, we visited the museum on the site.

The location of this battle (Pegasus Bridge) was about a mile from where I was living.

Talk about powerful...

I don't remember exactly who these people were, but I loved the layout

Then we walked out toward the cemetery. Of course it was raining...

Omaha Beach

Map of the landing beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword

The memorial had several parts. The statue below and the walls around it had maps and details from the D-Day invasion (Operation Neptune) and other operations. Those white walls in the background are part of the "Walls of the Missing," which I didn't know was back there until we had already left.

The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves by Donald De Lue

There are 9,387 buried here; most were killed in the D-Day invasion and the operations that followed.

There's a chapel at the other end

Crosses and Stars of David

Their graves are the eternal symbol of their heroism and sacrifice for the common cause of humanity.

Looking up the coast toward Gold Beach

It was intense, to say the least, but one of my favorite days of the entire trip.



When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. [Ansel Adams]