Home » France » A Tribute to the Liberation of Europe March 18, 2002

"Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere are with you..."</br>
~~Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 6, 1944

A Tribute to the Liberation of Europe March 18, 2002

Ttrealtravels
2005-12-26 14:37:07

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Utah Beach

It was with some trepidation that we began our Normandy tour. Headed to the furthest point, Utah Beach, the weather was out of control. Heavy wins drove the rain horizontally as we got out of the car with umbrellas uselessly opened. We got soaked in the 100 feet we ran to get to the entrance of the Musée du Débarquement. Inside the very complete museum, part of which was built around an authentic German bunker, we attempted to dry off. Outside, miraculously the rain stopped long enough for us to step outside and document the experience. For the vast majority of the time, we were the only ones outside. The wind howled on, but without the rain, we managed.

How coincidental that we set out in the pouring rain and driving winds to see the D-Day beaches along Normandy's coast, starting with Utah. The storm seemed appropriate, as it was a rainy week in June 1944 when Operation Overlord began gathering forces in Britain.

So many very moving monuments everywhere. All along this stretch of coast are reminders of the Longest Day. Imagine the first 20 minutes of the movie Saving Private Ryan, and then look out onto the actual beach where it all happened. Feel the wind in your hair and the rain on your skin, as if you were there.

The German Cemetery at La Cambe

After Utah Beach, we visited the Germany cemetery at Normandy. Sure, they were the "bad guys" of WWII, but think about it -- each of the 21,500 German soldiers in this cemetery also had a mother who loved him, just like the 9,386 Americans buried near Omaha Beach. War is a tragedy for both the winners and the losers.

Inside the chapel, a placard is inscribed with a quote from Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Albert Schweitzer that says, "War graves are the best inducement towards peace." He was very, very right. Seeing thousands of tombstones, all of ...