We rented a small house in Barfleur, right on the English Channel.
Adorable.
One of the few harbor towns in Normandy.
Time seems to have stood still in this area.
Picture of the same church before the war.
Driving in Normandy was a crazy affair all weekend. Many people sat in traffic jams for hours. We were lucky in that we were approaching the action from the north, and our GPS did an incredible job of routing us along narrow dirt roads that few other people knew about. Roads were clogged with tourists and buses and soldiers and jeeps and more than a few tanks!
Yep, those tanks are real ... as evidenced by the diesel smoke when they fired up.
And they really drove those tanks from town to town.
This had to be what the French felt 70 years ago. Liberation. Goosebumps.
Our job was to get Craig on the bus to Cherbourg with the rest of Liberty Jump Team. Then we drove to the drop zone and drank cider and ate bread, waiting for his plane to arrive.
From Cherbourg, Craig took off in a Whiskey Seven, C47, that actually flew in WWII.
There's the first drop of 5 men. True to history, they all missed the drop zone!
It was a long walk back but everyone made it in one piece!
Throughout the weekend, jumps were happening every day. It was an awesome sight to first hear the airplane coming in low and then to see the sky dotted with white chutes. Goosebumps.
June 6. We spent D-Day on our own, following the battles of Easy Company and reading actual monographs that WWII soldiers wrote that Craig was able to access. So little has changed in this area. The fields, the roads, the hedgerows, the railroad tracks all exist as they did 70 years ago.
Brecourt Manor
Four German howitzers were hidden in the hedgerows surrounding this field, prepared for the assault on Utah Beach. However, they were stopped by Easy Company just a few hours after regrouping from the D-Day jump.
Four German howitzers were hidden in the hedgerows surrounding this field, prepared for the assault on Utah Beach. However, they were stopped by Easy Company just a few hours after regrouping from the D-Day jump.
Hedgerows. Amazing things. They can be over 12feet thick. All thorns and branches. No idea what's on the other side. A Sherman tank could bounce off them
Remember this scene from "The Longest Day"?
Utah Beach. Thanks to tides and a quick German surrender, Utah Beach was a major success. Less than 200 losses.
Monuments abound. Remembering the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Marines who were there.
And the 946 lives lost in a training exercise in England. Operation Tiger.
And the 946 lives lost in a training exercise in England. Operation Tiger.
Michelle and Craig attended a WWII fundraiser at Utah Beach. In attendance where many WWII veterans along with several actors from the series, "Band of Brothers".
Craig was most interested in the likes of this man ... 93-year old Jim "Pee Wee" Martin. A real life hero, who was part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, G Company, 101st Airborne Division. He also jumped this weekend.
June 7
We drove to Bayeux France for a full day tour of Normandy by Overlord Tours. By far, the best money we've spent in Europe. For almost 12 hours, we travelled the major and minor sites of D-Day and heard some amazing history and heart-wrenching stories. An invasion like no other.
The Atlantic Wall was a system of fortifications built by Nazi Germany, which extended along the Atlantic coast. These guns could easily shoot 15 miles and were aimed at Omaha Beach.
Omaha Beach.
The view from US soldiers landing.
Landing at low tide to avoid the many obstacles placed on shore by the Germans.
400 meters from landing to the German bunkers. Over 3000 young men killed.
How fast can you run 400 meters with 80 lbs of gear? Oh yes, don't forget machine gun fire.
Omaha Beach - the view from the German bunkers.
Omaha Beach. So peaceful now.
Memorial on top of a German bunker.
The American Cemetery. USA territory. A gift from France.
Over 172 acres, the American Cemetery contains the remains of 9,387 servicemen and women who died during the Normandy campaign.
All crosses face west ... towards home. Goosebumps.
The wall of soldiers whose bodies were never found. It continues in a full half-circle.
Never forget the high cost of war.
A stark contrast to the American Cemetery, the German cemetery holds 21,000 soldiers, who died during the Normandy campaign. Not all of them were Nazis. Many of them were conscripted to fight and should be remembered. The statue on the hill sits on top of a mass grave of 3,000 soldiers and represents German mothers weeping for their lost sons. Five crosses mark many mass graves of German soldiers. The entire cemetery is maintained through donations alone.
Never forget the high cost of war.
Pointe du Hoc
No beach. No access except the steep cliffs. Who do you call? Why, the Rangers of course! The Ranger motto -- Rangers Lead The Way -- originated in this battle. It was the command given to soldiers pinned to the ground under enemy fire. Second Ranger Battalion climbed Pointe du Hoc and fought to secure the cliff, take out German weapons, and hold the land without resupply for over two days, and only one days' ration of ammo. Starting the day with 225 men, only 90 fighting men remained (the rest either died or were injured).
Equally moving was the sight of Craig seeing some the Rangers he deployed with.
(and Michelle getting hit on by a spry WWII vet!).
Priceless.
Major Dick Winter, Easy Company.
A humble man who refused any public display until after his death.
A memorial to the great leaders of WWII.
Bayeux ... the first city liberated in France.
Quite an emotional trip.
D-Day is recognized every year in Normandy, and the 5-year anniversaries are typically bigger affairs. This year, the 70th anniversary was especially poignant because there may not be any WWII vets still living at the next 5-year anniversary.
Their message is simple: Never forget.
Goosebumps.
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