WorldTravelReynolds

We have 3 days to spend here in the Normandy area of France. We’ve been here before but I believe I could experience this place over and over again. It’s that amazing!

Our first day started with an immersive plunge into history. Our 4 friends, a couple from England and a couple from Canada joined us in portraying all nationalities that represent D-Day. Our journey began with an exhilarating D-Day flight simulator that placed us into the heart of the invasion.

We climbed inside the plane (simulator) and buckled-up our seatbelts for the ride. Looking out the windows (videos with a powerful visual narrative) brought the courage of the Allied forces to life with vivid detail, offering crucial context to the events that unfolded.

The gunfire, seeing thousands of planes beside us, warships in the water and then our plane being hit and brought down by enemy fire. It was a surreal moment. As if the simulator wasn’t powerful enough, we then watched a movie and a hologram of a soldier’s last instructions to his men, an average age of 17 ½ years, before they stepped out to fight for our freedom.

The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied countries. Almost 133,000 troops from the United States, the British Commonwealth, Canada and their allies, landed on D-Day. Casualties from these countries during the landing numbered 10,300.

Our next stop was the iconic Saint-Mère-Église church, a solemn testament to the bravery of the paratroopers who descended upon Normandy on that fateful day. The church steeple, adorned with the image of a suspended dummy paratrooper, served as a reminder of the human cost of war.

The paratrooper who landed on the church tower, where he hung from his parachute for about two hours before being taken prisoner by the Germans was John Steele. He later escaped and went on to fight for the rest of the war.

13,300 brave paratroopers were dropped from the skies on this fateful day in August 1944 with 2,499 casualties (killed, wounded or missing)

Our exploration continued at Pointe du Hoc, a dramatic cliffside vantage point that underscored the immense challenges faced by the Allied troops. This German stronghold, perched precariously on a 100-foot cliff overlooking the English Channel, was a strategic marvel, capable of disrupting the D-Day landings. Here, the 225 U.S. Rangers were tasked with capturing this position. Scaling these cliffs under relentless enemy fire was a feat of human endurance.

We read that while climbing, if one fell, another soldier took his place, if a rope broke, they would move to another one, never giving up. These troops help set the groundwork for the arriving allies by capturing Pointe de hoc and destroying German bunkers and machine gun posts. The successful mission came with a price. 77 Rangers were killed and 152 wounded.

We drove down to the beach and stopped for a solemn moment at Utah Beach before venturing to Omaha. The semi-quiet beauty of Utah was set with a monument as a memorial to that day for its immense bravery. Unlike the chaotic carnage of Omaha, Utah is often hailed as a ‘textbook landing’. This doesn’t diminish the extraordinary courage of those involved, but it does underscore the meticulous planning and execution behind the operation.

Standing on the seemingly beach of Utah, it’s difficult to fathom the chaos that once engulfed this stretch of coast. The sandy beach and coastline, now inviting relaxation, once concealed treacherous obstacles and deadly German fortifications. The success of the Utah landings is intricately linked to the airborne divisions, whose bold actions secured the flanks and sowed confusion among German forces. Their bravery and sacrifice remain etched in the memory of the beach, a moving testament to their role in liberating Europe.

Omaha, the most famous and the greatest loss, is a place steeped in history, where the weight of the past is profoundly felt. It is a place of solemn remembrance and profound respect. It is both haunting and tranquil.  As we walked and thought about what happened here, the immense human cost of the battle was noticeable. Once a killing ground, it’s now a place of quiet reflection. 

The American Cemetery and Memorial, a meticulous expansion of thousands of white crosses, serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by young American soldiers. The accompanying memorial is a very powerful tribute to their courage and bravery. It was so hard to fathom the losses resulting from that war. We are free today because these young men saved us!

Our day at the memorial concluded with a moving flag-lowering ceremony as taps is played by a soldier with a bugle nearby. We chatted in the car about all that we learned on this day about our countries that came together to fight for our freedom. 

We left the beaches behind and made our way towards Mont Saint-Michel. The drive was beautiful. The fields of hay and corn were endless as well as cows, horses and sheep. The moment we saw the castle we knew we had made the right decision to stay in a hotel with a view overlooking the castle itself. We enjoyed cheese and rolls as our dinner because we picked up some snacks on the way and couldn’t eat much more. However, while the sun was setting and the sheep were playing outside the window, we all toasted to a great day! 

Before heading to bed at 9 pm, there was still some daylight so we decided to walk over to the castle for a quick look before our tour tomorrow. And we are so glad we did. Although the castle wasn’t as lit up as we expected, the darkness and blue hues of the sky were beautiful. The tide was coming in so we had to step over some rocks to get inside. We wandered around the ground floor and took some unique photos as well as visited a few shops but then headed back to prepare for an early rising. 

Tomorrow we leave bright and early for an inside look at this magnificent structure!

May God bless you always!

Chuck and Lea Ann