Normandy Beaches

Today started on a "high note" The 360 movie was great. There has been a lot of change in connection with the DDay Beaches and a lot of it is becoming a big commercial venture. You just need to turn a "blind eye" to that part.

The rest of the day involved Canadian and American sites. First, it was on to the Canadian memorial. They have done a marvelous job of tracing their entry into the war, the effort at home and their efforts on the battlefield, and the country since WWII. You get a good feeling for them and their country. The museum is exceptionally well done.

From there it was back past Arromanches to the town of Port en Bessin. It is famous in the D Day operation as the site of PLUTO a four pipe (each 150mm in diameter) pipe line that was laid and in operation by the 25 of June. It supplied most of the fuel and water used by the military for the invasion. Imagine 40 or so miles of undersea pipe line from the Isle of Wight to Normandy in 20 days. Could we do that today?

It is a short drive from there to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. There are 9,387 white head stones and on a wall there are the names of 1500 missing that were never found. (I, (Mary, had a cousin lost in action in the Pacific during WWII and I thought that his name is probably on a wall in an American Cemetery some where in the Pacific.) Also, 61% of those that died here were returned to the states for burial. It is a beautiful place -- quiet and peaceful overlooking Omaha Beach. The new visitor center (opened in 2007) tells the stories of many who are buried here as well as the story of the invasion. It is very well done and meaningful.

Our last stop was Pointe du Hoc. The potmarked landscape, the ruins of bunkers, and the shear cliffs that the rangers climbed are all a testimony to the men who fought here those fateful days in June 65 years ago. It is impossible to even begin to imagine the planning that was involved in the Invasion! We also can't begin to imagine the feelings of all of the soldiers as they were approaching the beaches - all of the lives that were impacted that day.

The slide show will cover today better than putting in the individual pictures. A closing thought, one tombstone yesterday at the British Cemetery at Ranville said, "When you go home tell them of us and say, "For your tomorrow we gave our today."