A Powerful Remembrance

We drove the winding road from Bayeux to Omaha Beach to see the site of the D-Day battles and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (where 9,500 American soldiers were laid to rest). The site and experience was both powerful and sobering. To see the beaches left us speechless. The beaches are vast and the cliffs are high - the American, British and Canadian soldiers who arrived by boat were easy targets for the Germans and by all accounts it is amazing that we won the battles there. The topography leaves you stunned at the sheer bravery of the soldiers who arrived and fought to overcome the enemy. The photos are emotion-provoking, but visiting in person makes one understand better the sacrifice involved for these young, brave men (as there were no women in combat at that time). Having served in the U.S. Army (although never in combat or a combat profession), I was in awe at the stories of these heroes - to whom France and the rest of the free world owe so much. The visitor books at the memorial were somber, as those who signed could also add a few words next to their names. Most just wrote, "Thank you for what you gave" and messages of a similar ilk....