seriously though... the beaches at Normandy?
everything I thought they'd be.
Today was for sure one of the highlights of my trip thus far. When my family came to pick up my brother from his mission, we got to do a TON of everything, but Normandy was something that we just didn't get around to and it's something I've wanted to do for a really long time.
We got a guided tour of some of the different beaches and areas that were a big part of the d-day invasion. I love getting tours and learning cool facts that make the story come alive.
Warning: I'm about to give a lot of educational information and if you're not interested, skim over the pictures and call it good! sorry I have warned everyone that I am a nerd and I eat up all this information and have to remember it forever!
We visited 5 different sites, but for the sake of everyone's sanity, I'll share the 3 I found the most fascinating. The first was called (as far as I could tell with the English accent and the French pronunciation)
the gun battery of Long Sumere:
found in this area are four different major German cannons, all of which can hit both Omaha beach and Gold beach. They were used for Hitler's Atlantic war, which wasn't a physical war but rather just the term that was used to describe his tactic to protect the front lines of the countries he had conquered.
*the Allies ships were able to hit two cannons, essentially killing all of the men inside of them
*the men in cannons three and four took off running
*the noise inside the shell of the cannon was so incredibly loud that if the men who were firing inside of the shells did not open their mouths when the shot went off, not only would their ear drums shatter, but all of their teeth would fall out as well.
*the cannon's cannot see where they are firing at, so there was watchman further ahead who were able to see and then call back and tell the coordinates of where to fire
Next, we went to Omaha beach.
for those not exactly familiar with d-day, the Allies (Great Britain, Canada, and yours truly) had code names for the beaches where they were going to land their attacks; that way if any of the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) got a hold of the plans, they wouldn't know where the attack was going to be.
*Omaha beach is four and a half miles wide, and three different villages span it.
*the morning of June 6, at half past 6, the tide was out, leaving half a mile of beach exposed for the soldiers to cover before getting to the banks
*they say that everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong for this particular battle. The Germans had doubled their troops, our aerial bombing the previous night hadn't hit where they were supposed to thanks to a thick fog, and we essentially just dropped troops off in a cove with thousands of German troops looking down on us ready to fire. Picture a football stadium where the enemy is seated in all of the seats above and can easily see and aim at whatever is on the field. talk about a huge disadvantage. the American troops were coming in waves, and if the previous wave didn't complete their task before the next wave arrived, then everything was offset. The first wave of troops weren't able to complete their task of disabling the obstacles on the beach. great start to the day, right?
*the soldiers were sea sick, hypothermic, shocked, and paralyzed by fear. Luckily, Americans were trained in adversity to do three things: assess, adapt, and overcome.
*this was a different type of battle field than ever before because in order to get to safety, you HAD to move forward into enemy fire. There was literally no retreating or going back.
*thousands of men were basically a sacrifice so that their fellow soldiers coming in behind them could advance.
*the only reason that America came out with a victory this tragic day was because of the sheer number of troops we provided.
*the American government told society that around 2000 out of 24,000 were casualties that day, but it is more than likely, almost certain, that they were downplaying as not to demoralize. More than 2,000 men in one morning.
and finally...
The American Cemetery:
this was easily one of the most touching places I've ever been.
facts:
*for every one headstone at this cemetery, there are two more back in the states (these were only the soldiers that didn't get sent home to their families for burial)
*9387 soldiers are buried here in this cemetery
*these casualties who are buried here are not just casualties from the d-day invasion, but from all of the European action during WWII.
*this land is American soil. American jurisdiction. It's essentially American territory. You don't realize how much you actually love your country until you spend two and a half weeks in another country and step onto your own soil.
*there are 4 women buried in this cemetery
*there are brothers, fathers, and sons buried next to each other in this cemetery (including two of Teddy Roosevelt's sons)
*the crosses/stars of david are uniform- made of the same marble, uniform alignment. These soldiers fought for the freedom of our country in uniform, and it only seems fitting for them to be buried in uniform in death.
some of the quotes found around various statues, inside the cathedral, and in the visitors center captured my mood:
"This embattled shore, portal of freedom, is forever hallowed by the ideals, the valor, and the sacrifices of our fellow countrymen."
"These endured all and gave all that justice among nations might prevail and that mankind might enjoy freedom and inherit peace."
"Think not only upon their passing remember the glory of their spirit."
"They gave up their collective future to insure ours."
I didn't expect to be hit as hard as I was by the sight of the thousand of headstones aligned perfectly with the American flag in the distance. Being a citizen of the United States really is something to take pride in-something I've always been told but never grasped the magnitude of.
this is just a brief overview of everything that we learned today at the d-day beaches. If anyone is planning a trip to Normandy to see these beaches, or finds this all really interesting, contact me and I can give you more information! I highly recommend seeing these historic sites and taking the time to really invest in the experience. It was honestly a highlight of my time here thus far and had a really great impact on me! Woo go America!
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