A Day of Remembrance

Tuesday, August 17th

We woke to another rainy day, but somehow it seemed appropriate as we prepared for our tour of the D-Day sites. We went to the main house for breakfast, where our hosts, Keith & Penny, had laid out quite a spread. Keith is retired from the British Navy and is extremely knowledgeable about the area, so he mapped out a route for us to follow. I was very pleased to have that map later on, as we have learned that Miss GPS is not always correct.

We saw so much today...I only hope I can do it justice. It really isn't just a few major sites...like the beaches and the American cemetery...there are memorials set up in almost every town and even along the roads. We decided not to do any museums. We didn't think they would add to our experience, that isn't to say they aren't worthwhile, but we felt we had a good enough background knowledge on our own. As Matt said, "Why go to a museum, when we can go to the real thing?"

Our first stop was at a roadside memorial for Medal of Honor recipient Charles DeGlopper. His platoon was cut off from the rest of the company and had taken cover in a ditch. The Germans were flanking them and closing in fast. DeGlopper volunteered to provide cover fire while the platoon escaped. He walked from the ditch onto the road and began shooting. He kept firing even after being shot several times and continued until he was killed.

Our next stop was at La Fiere Bridge where 144 men from Company A of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment seized the bridge and prevented the enemy from crossing.

Then we went to Ste. Mere-Eglise, the famous site from the movie 'The Longest Day' with John Wayne. Here at the church is where John Steele's parachute became stuck on a corner of the church and he played dead to survive. The Airborne Museum 
is also in Ste. Mere-Eglise (and we did go thru it). It was just okay. Matt was right, the museums pale in comparison to the actual sights.

After Ste. Mere-Eglise, we went to Utah Beach, one of the two beaches that the Americans landed on to liberate Europe from the German stronghold. I collected shells from the beach to make a little memorial bowl for our home.

Then we were off to find the Ranger monument at Pointe du Hoc. Pointe du Hoc was a strategic strongpoint that the German's held. Three hundred Army Rangers were selected to make the ascent up the sheer cliff...only thirty survived...but they did capture it. It was surreal to see the craters still there from the bombs that were dropped, as well as crawl thru the German bunkers.

Omaha Beach was our next stop. It's difficult to put into words what one feels standing where so many brave men gave their lives. I collected a few rocks from the beach, as the tide had come in and I couldn't find any good shells.

Our final stop of the day was the most poignant...the American Cemetery. It is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. Our visit began at the Visitor's Center, where they have personal stories of some of those who are buried there. The personal stories really put everything into perspective. These were individuals who sacrificed their lives for another's freedom...they weren't just numbers of casualties...they were people who had mothers, fathers, wives, children. As we walked through an empty hallway, all you heard were the names of the dead being read...that brought me to tears.

You exit the Visitor's Center and walk down beautifully landscaped paths toward the Cemetery. When it comes into view, it is breathtaking. We walked around just reading names. There were some 'well-known' names in my guidebook to find...like the son of President Roosevelt and the Niland brothers (who inspired Saving Private Ryan), but as I walked, I decided not to look for them. Every man buried there is no less than any other.

We spent awhile at the Cemetery and then headed home. We weren't in the mood to go out to dinner, so we stopped at a grocery store and got rotisserie chicken and salad, went back to our gite, and just spent a quiet evening in.