Normandy

[ness]

We just got back from a two week vacation in Switzerland and France. Our last stop was a bucket list item for me: The Normandy beaches. Our first day there we did a guided tour of the main American sectors: Omaha and Utah, then we did some on our own after that. I thought folks might be interested in some pics.

It's hard to put into words the feeling you get here. First, the sadness that comes from knowing how many men died right here. Men who went into this knowing there was a really good chance they'd never go home. I can't really fathom the bravery of these guys. The historical significance of the place too: An exceptionally complicated invasion with 150,000 troops followed by a couple million more. 200,000+ Allied casualties and many more as the we moved forward. It's somber, it's moving. I teared up multiple times. 

80+ years later and the French are still grateful. Along the coast where we were there are probably as many American flags as French. I asked our guide if the young people understand, and he said as part of school they come to learn, and he said they do get it. Farther to the east, were the British and Canadian sectors, where I'm told it's the same. And, all along the way are flags of other countries who contributed: Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and many others.

Omaha Beach is hard to capture in a photo: Its almost 6 miles long and the beach is quite wide. Imagine running across this while under fire... See the people on the right for scale. I think casualties were something like 40 percent. 

There were many units involved, but I didn't remember the 1st Infantry Division, AKA The Big Red 1, out of Fort Riley, Kansas, was one of the major players at Omaha. 

West of Omaha is Utah, and at the edge of that is Pointe du Hoc, where Army Rangers famously scaled the 100+ foot cliffs to take out the heavily fortified bunkers above. Again, pretty heavy casualties, but they did it. 

 

Normandy American Cemetery where 9,000+ Americans are buried, including 300 plus unknowns. Another 1,500 missing in action are commemorated. As recently as 2011 a body was discovered nearby and the remains identified by DNA testing. His spot in the memorial, along with the others identified after the memorial was built in the 60's, is marked with a ruby-colored marker. 

Tomb of one of the unknowns. It's hard to read but the stone says: 'Here lies in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God.' Lump in throat.

A main objective was to capture the crossroads of Sainte-Mere-Eglise to prevent German reinforcements from getting to Omaha and Utah. Paratroopers were dropped here in the middle of the night before the landings. Like so many aspects of the invasion, it didn't go exactly as planned. Paratroopers were to be dropped outside town while everyone was asleep. But there was a house fire and all the townsfolk were out doing a bucket line to put it out, and the dang Germans were awake too. Paratroopers dropped right into the town, including one named John Steele who got snagged on the church tower. He hung there for several hours pretending to be dead before the Germans figured it out and captured him. This is commemorated with a parachute and mannequin on the church tower. Look to the right and below the clock.

The stained glass also commemorates the paratroopers. Look closely to the left and right of Mary and Jesus.

I hope you enjoy and maybe reflect.

 

 

[BilletHead]

10 minutes ago, ness said:

We just got back from a two week vacation in Switzerland and France. Our last stop was a bucket list item for me: The Normandy beaches. Our first day there we did a guided tour of the main American sectors: Omaha and Utah, then we did some on our own after that. I thought folks might be interested in some pics.

It's hard to put into words the feeling you get here. First, the sadness that comes from knowing how many men died right here. Men who went into this knowing there was a really good chance they'd never go home. I can't really fathom the bravery of these guys. The historical significance of the place too: An exceptionally complicated invasion with 150,000 troops followed by a couple million more. 200,000+ Allied casualties and many more as the we moved forward. It's somber, it's moving. I teared up multiple times. 

80+ years later and the French are still grateful. Along the coast where we were there are probably as many American flags as French. I asked our guide if the young people understand, and he said as part of school they come to learn, and he said they do get it. Farther to the east, were the British and Canadian sectors, where I'm told it's the same. And, all along the way are flags of other countries who contributed: Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and many others.

Omaha Beach is hard to capture in a photo: Its almost 6 miles long and the beach is quite wide. Imagine running across this while under fire... See the people on the right for scale. I think casualties were something like 40 percent. 

There were many units involved, but I never knew the 1st Infantry Division, AKA The Big Red 1, out of Fort Riley, Kansas was one of the major players at Omaha. 

West of Omaha is Utah, and at the edge of that is Pointe du Hoc, where Army Rangers famously scaled the 100+ foot cliffs to take out the heavily fortified bunkers above. Again, pretty heavy casualties, but they did it. 

 

Normandy American Cemetery where 9,000+ Americans are buried, including 300 plus unknowns. Another 1,500 missing in action are commemorated. As late as 2011 a body was discovered and the remains identified by DNA testing. His spot in the memorial, along with the others identified after the memorial was built in the 60's, is marked with a ruby-colored marker. 

Tomb of one of the unknowns. It's hard to read but the stone says: 'Here lies in honored glory, a comrade in arms, known but to God.'

A main objective was to capture the crossroads of Sainte-Mere-Eglise to prevent German reinforcements from getting to Omaha and Utah. Paratroopers were dropped here in the middle of the night before the landings. Like many aspects of the invasion, it didn't go exactly as planned. Paratroopers were to be dropped outside town while everyone was asleep. But, there was a house fire and all the townsfolk were out doing a bucket line to put it out, and the dang Germans were awake too. Paratroopers dropped right into the town, including one named John Steele who got snagged on the church tower. He hung there for several hours pretending to be dead before the Germans figured it out and captured him. This is commemorated with a parachute and mannequin on the church tower. Look to the right and below the clock.

The stained glass also commemorates the paratroopers. Look closely to the left and right of Mary and Jesus.

I hope you enjoy and maybe reflect.

 

 

                    Dang John thank you so much for posting this. We watch movies and specials on these things but to walk where this happened has to be so humbling.  To think such things are still happening after people learning of countries trying to take over other countries is unforgivable.  

[jdmidwest]

Visiting sites where many have died have the same effect on me also.  I have toured many Civil War locations around TN, KY, AR, MO, IL, MI, AL that have the same effect.  The Union Soldiers usually have proper graves, the Confederates are in a mass lump or not marked in some locations.  We were all Americans when it happened, they should be treated as equals.

[WestCentralFisher]

Thank you for posting. I have been doing a lot of reading about this period of WW2, and I can't imagine what it would feel like to actually see those places. Like probably a lot of people, my interest was initially sparked by Band of Brothers, but once you start to learn more about that moment in time, you realize it's pretty much impossible to understand the scale of the tragedy. 

I am not really a believer in the supernatural, but in a certain way I think that places where events like this happen retain a bit of the sadness, and are never really the same after. I have never been across the pond, but I have been to many smaller battlefield sites closer to home. Wilson Creek comes to mind, as does Pilot Knob and Pea Ridge. Or Little Bighorn in the Montana high plains. In some ways, they're just quiet places in the countryside, but the air feels a little heavier, and the woods feel a little less empty. I can't really describe it any better than that. 

[ness]

21 minutes ago, WestCentralFisher said:

Thank you for posting. I have been doing a lot of reading about this period of WW2, and I can't imagine what it would feel like to actually see those places. Like probably a lot of people, my interest was initially sparked by Band of Brothers, but once you start to learn more about that moment in time, you realize it's pretty much impossible to understand the scale of the tragedy. 

I am not really a believer in the supernatural, but in a certain way I think that places where events like this happen retain a bit of the sadness, and are never really the same after. I have never been across the pond, but I have been to many smaller battlefield sites closer to home. Wilson Creek comes to mind, as does Pilot Knob and Pea Ridge. Or Little Bighorn in the Montana high plains. In some ways, they're just quiet places in the countryside, but the air feels a little heavier, and the woods feel a little less empty. I can't really describe it any better than that. 

Yeah, there's an emotional, somber feeling there. But, as I thought about it, it is just one of thousands of battles in THAT part of THAT war. We've been doing this s%#t to each other since the begging of civilization. 

[WestCentralFisher]

4 minutes ago, ness said:

Yeah, there's an emotional, somber feeling there. But, as I thought about it, it is just one of thousands of battles in THAT part of THAT war. We've been doing this s%#t to each other since the begging of civilization. 

Yep. A friend from a European country once told me that they only really commemorated/protected the most significant battlefields, because if they did that for all of them they wouldn't have any land left over to farm or build things on.

[ness]

12 minutes ago, WestCentralFisher said:

Yep. A friend from a European country once told me that they only really commemorated/protected the most significant battlefields, because if they did that for all of them they wouldn't have any land left over to farm or build things on.

Our guide told us the Normandy locals were initially very insistent on preserving all the sites, but returning soldiers encouraged them to return the land to useful purposes and live life -- because that's what they fought for. 

[Ryan Miloshewski]

1 hour ago, ness said:

Yeah, there's an emotional, somber feeling there. But, as I thought about it, it is just one of thousands of battles in THAT part of THAT war. We've been doing this s%#t to each other since the begging of civilization. 

Amazing, thank you for the pictures. I am a big history buff and stuff like this brings a tear to my eye.

The one place I've been to that jerks you with that emotional, somber feeling you mentioned was Gettysburg. Even if you had no idea what happened, you stand there overlooking the Peach Orchard, on Big Round top, etc. and you have this feeling of "wow, something happened here." Amazing that energy stays for so long. I'm sure it's the same at Normandy, and even more so. 

[Quillback]

Thanks for the write-up.  Would certainly like to visit Normandy someday, but don't know if I'll ever make it.  I've read several books about D-Day and the campaign in NW France.  A good one, if you are interested, is Six Armies in Normandy by John Keegan.

[Flysmallie]

1 hour ago, ness said:

 We've been doing this s%#t to each other since the begging of civilization. 

And we still aren't gettimng any smarter. I have nothing pleasant to say about war, so I'll just keep my mouth shut. 

But I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with two veterans. One from WWII and an Army Ranger from Korea and Vietnam. Neither of them felt like brave heroes. They felt crapped on by their government. But that's what happens when you give idiots the power to have a big dick contest. 

Cool pictures ness.