After visiting Omaha Beach we went to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The entrance is a simple walkway that leads into an oval walled area that is known as the walls of the missing.
The wall of the missing has a total os 1,557 American soldiers names inscribed on them. If a soldier’s body has since been located they put a rosette beside their name on the wall.
Wall of the Missing in Normandy American Cemetery
We walked along the wall reading some of the many names inscribed on it.
Wall of the Missing leading to the semicircular section of the cemetery
We eventually walked to a semi-circular stairs with pillars that led us to an upper area. We went up the stairs to an area with a large statue.
Statue in a semi-circular pillared area
From this area, we could see the main section of the cemetery.
We were immediately struck by the beauty, and size of the cemetery. The cemetery was a lot larger that we expected it covered 172.5 acres.
We walked through the cemetery looking at the crosses and reading the names of some of the soldiers that died on D-Day. The cemetery contains the graves of 9,387 soldiers, most of whom died during the D-Day landings.
American Cemetery in NormandyThe view from the rear of the cemetery.
It was a surreal and an emotional walk through the cemetery. Looking back towards the main entrance the view was awe-inspiring in a sad kind of way.
We arrived at Omaha Beach in France and was surprised at just how beautiful a beach it was. There were families playing on the sand and swimmers in the water enjoying a nice sunny day.
It was hard to imagine the horrific event that took place. We were moved by the sheer magnitude of the beach and the battles that would have taken place here on June 6, 1944. The beach is very long and wide which would have been a tremendous challenge for the Allies to advance.
Shelley on Omaha Beach in Normandy
The beach would have been full of barbed wire and other obstacles that would impede the progress of the Allies. Beyond the beach is the hilltop where the Germans were dug in and reinforced, which gave them the advantage.
Hills at the edge of Omaha Beach in Normandy
We walked the beach for a while before heading to the monument.
Shelley and Ray on Omaha Beach in front of the monument
The monument was a simple stone structure which arched towards the hills away from the beach.
Omaha Beach monument
On the face of the monument is inscribed the following.
“The Allied Forces Landing on this shore which they call Omaha Beach liberated Europe -June 6th 1944″
Inscription on the Omaha Beach monument
There was also a monument installed for the 60th anniversary of D-Day in June 2004. The Monument was called “Les Braves” and was commissioned by the French Government. It is said that the monument represents “Wings of hope” “the Rise of freedom” and “the wings of fraternity.”
60th anniversary of D-Day Monument on Omaha Beach
The experience of walking on Omaha Beach was surreal. It was an experience that will stay with us forever.
Before heading down to see the Omaha and Juno beaches, we went to a cliff area on a point of land called “Pointe du Hoc”. The point overlooks both the Omaha and Utah Beaches. We walked along a trail that brought us to the Pointe du Hoc. There on the cliff was the remains of fortified bunkers and lookouts built by the Germans.
Trail leading to the point
This point of land high on the cliffs provided the Germans an excellent vantage point to see Allies advance in the Atlantic.
View of the Omaha Beach from the cliffs area
The ground on the point was heavily damaged with craters caused by the bombings from the Allies during the D-Day operations. It was amazing to see just how big the craters were from the bombs.
Craters caused by bombing during the D-Day operations
It was a moving experience walking through the area, imagining what had transpired on June 6, 1944, when US Army Rangers scaled the 90-foot cliffs to capture this strategic and well-defended point of land. In total, a 150 US Rangers reached the top and seized their objective against machine guns and grenades. The US Rangers then had to fight to defend their position against repeated counter-attacks by the Germans. It took two days for reinforcements to arrive on June 8th. and during that time 60 Rangers had perished defending their position. This heroic act helped to provide the needed foothold for the allied forces. This became the start of the liberation of France.
Ray in front of a damaged Machine gun bunker
We walked through some of the old bunkers and could easily see the damage caused by bombs and gunfire.
Ray at one of the 155MM heavy Gun platforms on Pointe du Hoc, France
We went to explore one of the main fortified bunkers on the Pointe du Hoc. The bunker had only one entrance/exit from the complex and it was strategically designed to be impenetrable.
Ray on the stairs to the only entrance to the German bunker
Once at the entrance landing, there was a hallway immediately to the left of the door with a machine gun post in a small opening. There was also a machine gun post at the base of the stair that could shoot the lower area of any advancing soldiers.
Machine gun opening near the main entrance to the bunker
Anyone trying to gain entry would have been shot before getting to the reinforced door of the bunker.
Shelley looking into one of the machine gun posts of the bunkerRay at the entrance area of the bunker, Bullet holes in the concrete can be seen at the entrance.
We went inside a fortified bunker system and were immediately struck by the sheer size of the complex. There were rooms for ammunition, rooms for personnel and other rooms for communications etc.
Communications room in the bunker system
We walked through the bunker in a quiet and somber manner. There was a plaque located on the wall inside the entrance that listed the US Rangers who died trying to secure the Pointe du Hoc.
Plaque on wall of the US Rangers who died trying to secure the Pointe de Hoc.US Rangers plaque at Pointe du Hoc, France
We went through different rooms in the bunker and imagined what had transpired on D-Day. It is not hard to imagine what happened to the bunker when it was attacked. The ceiling throughout the entire bunker system was burnt. We can only imagine that flamethrowers were used against the bunker.
The view from inside one of the gun slots in the bunker
Once we finished exploring the bunker we walked around the outside of the bunker. There was a series of trenches and other machine gun bunkers all along the cliffs.
The view of the gun slots in the bunker that rained terror on Allied ships and personnel advance on the beaches of Normandy.
Gun slots in the bunker at Pointe du Hoc, FranceMachine gun bunker damaged by artillerySection of trench system at Pointe du Hoc, France
We spend several hours walking around the bunker system and exploring this historic battle site of WWII. It was an emotional and amazing experience, all at the time.
We stopped at a military war grave cemetery that was located in Saint-Germain-du-Perth, France. The WWII cemetery was established for the German soldiers killed during the war. The cemetery called “La Cambe Military Cemetery” contains in excess of 21,000 German soldiers.
Gate to the cemetery
The cemetery was fairly modest in appearance and subdued. We entered through an arched gate into a cemetery with rows of flat headstones. There was a row of five stone crosses spaced in between the rows of headstones.
Flat headstones in the cemetery
At the center of the cemetery, there was a circular mound with a monument at the top.
Central mound in Cambe cemetery
We walked to the central monument and went up the stair to the top.
Stairs to the top of the monument in Cambe cemetery
From the top of the monument, we could see the entire cemetery.
View from the top of the monument in Cambe cemetery.
It was a somber experience walking through the cemetery.
“The soldiers’ graves are the greatest preachers of peace” -Albert Schweitzer
We arrived in Caen and began our journey along some of the WWII routes. Our first stop was at a small bridge at Benouville which was an important part of the D-Day operations. There were two bridges that were the key to moving troops and supplies forward once the Allies reached Normandy. One was in Ranville and the other in Benouville.
Bridge at Benouville, France
The operation code-named “Pegasus” was to capture the two bridges and secure them until the Allies arrived. The bridges were fortified with machine guns.
One of the German Machine Guns used to protect the bridge
At 00:16 minutes after midnight on June 6, 1944, gliders with 30 soldiers of the 6th British Airborne landed behind enemy lines near the bridge of Benouville. They fought the Germans to control the bridges and were able to cut the leads to explosive charges that had been set by the Germans. They then defended the bridge from the Germans until reinforcements arrived at approximately 3 a.m.
We walked along the “Pegasus trail” near the riverbank looking at the bridge and trying to imagine what transpired here so many years ago.
View of Pegasus trail in Benouville, France
Along the trail, there were monuments identifying the battle and the soldiers involved in the operation.
Allied Flags and monuments on the “Pegasus Trail”Statue and Monument of Major J. Howard who led the operation Pegasus and captured the Bridge
We walked the trail and looked at the monuments and plaques.
Ray and Shelley at the Monument at Benouville Bridge in France
It was one of the many operations during the war that were not well-known but had a major impact on the outcome of the D-Day operations. It was an interesting site.
The wall of the missing has a total os 1,557 American soldiers names inscribed on them. If a soldier’s body has since been located they put a rosette beside their name on the wall.
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