On the Beaches of Normandy

Kevin here.

There were many things we were looking forward to upon arrival in France.  We couldn't wait to get to Paris, of course.  The Eiffel Tower, the beautiful parks, etc.  But we decided to begin our journey by going to the region known as Normandy (Normandie) so that we could visit -- at least for a bit -- the beaches associated with the D-Day landing of June 1944.  It was a part of US -- and world -- history that we wanted to expose the kids to first-hand.

Even before we had left on this journey, I had spoken to a few people about going there.  They were all effusive.  One even teared up a bit, just recalling his own visit a few years before.  So, I knew going in that it would be a moving experience, at least on some level.  My father -- also a military man, who I know would have loved to have joined us on the visit if he could have (Hey Dad!) -- told me that, although we don't know of any family members who are buried in the American Cemetery here, at least a few were apart of the invasion sometime after that first day.  I look forward to finding out more about that.

There is a great deal of history that I could go in to but I trust that you know what happened on D-Day.  Or that you know how to find out.  And I encourage you to do so.  The brief amount of time that we spent in Normandy has fueled my interest in WWII in general, and Operation Overlord specifically.  We didn't get to do everything I would have liked to do there -- having 3 younger kids makes it difficult sometimes -- but what we did do was more than worth the time and effort.

We began the day by driving from Bayeux (where we had a hotel for a couple of nights) about 20 minutes to Arromanches (pronounced something like arro-monsh).  Arromanches is a beautiful and fascinating place and the sight where the Allies built "Port Winston," an artificial harbor constructed shortly after D-Day began using old ships they scuttled as well as gigantic concrete blocks that were towed by 500 tugboats across the English Channel.

Overlooking Arromanches with the remains of Port Winston visible in the English Channel.

Awesome.  There is a museum in Arromanches devoted to Port Winston, but we skipped it in favor of something we thought the kids might enjoy a bit more:  the Arromanches 360 circular theater.  Playing in this theater is a 25-minute film called "The Price of Freedom."  It is all images and video and music and sound -- no words -- and turned out to be a fascinating way to begin our time in Normandy with the kids.  Many of the visuals in the movie show the contrast between today and 1944:  like a tank moving, clanking, and rumbling over a bridge during the war vs. a wedding party walking, dancing, and celebrating over the same bridge 65 years later.  These were arresting scenes and gave us all reminders of the things we can now enjoy because of the sacrifices made all those years ago.  The kids were really into it, filled with questions and comments.

Next, we journeyed west down the coast of France about 15 minutes towards the German Artillery Battery at Longues-sur-Mer.  Upon arrival, the first thing you encounter is an old, large gun.

Here, I regale the inquisitive children with my vast knowledge of German artillery.

But... this gun is nothing compared to the large pieces of artillery that we encountered further down the walking path:

I believe that Anna could be shot out of this gun.  Merely an observation.

These bad boys are 152mm guns that can shoot over 12 miles and were a big target for destruction immediately prior to the D-Day landings.

By "these bad boys" I was not referring to the people pictured.

The kids were fascinated by such large guns and spent a great deal of time:
1.  Speculating as to how they worked, how accurate they were, etc.
2.  Climbing all over them.

Climbing the batteries.

We continued to walk towards the cliffs that overlook the Channel (since the guns were set back a bit from the sea) to get a good look at them from the front and at the water below.  Cool place; the kids loved it.

Kelly with one of the batteries in the distance

Overlooking the English Channel towards the west, with Omaha Beach in the distance.

The fire control casement which directed fire from the big guns.

Heading back to the car for our next stop.

As we began to drive towards the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, we decided to get some lunch.  Our options were limited.  Although many people visit this area, it is (surprisingly, in some ways) rather remote with only small towns and limited restaurants and stores.  But we found a place.  And the glorious lunch we had has been chronicled elsewhere.

After shaking off the meal, we headed towards Omaha Beach and the sight of the American Cemetery.  As you can probably tell by the previous pictures, the weather was very poor.  And it only got worse.  Perhaps such gloomy, dark weather was fitting for such a somber place.  But we parked, bundled up, and set off for the Cemetery.




The American Cemetery is a fascinating place with over 9,000 buried here.  The land -- 170 acres overlooking the sea -- was freely given by France to the US.  It's a fitting sight, immaculately kept.

If you've never been there, there are really two parts:  there is the cemetery itself.  But there is also a... well, it's not really a museum.  It's essentially an exhibit inside the visitor's center, filled with information, D-Day timelines, and memories of the invasion.  It opened in 2007 and is a truly remarkable place to visit.  We didn't know much about it and contemplated skipping it -- mostly due to the threatening weather we thought we might need to beat and due to the fact that there was a long line owing to tight security.

I'm glad we didn't skip it.  Very glad.  Photos, film, artifacts, texts.  It all paints an extremely engaging and compelling narrative of the D-Day preparations, execution, and aftermath.  Seriously, this is a must-see.  We and the kids were really enthralled.  We spent far more time here than we anticipated since the kids -- especially the boys, since they are older -- watched and read everything.  It's somewhat stark inside -- darkly lit, white marble everywhere, pictures of those lost that day on the beaches with their stories, a recording of a voice repeating the names of the fallen, etc.... honestly, it's a bit difficult to write about it without tearing up.   It was a good preparation for what we were to encounter once we left the center and headed towards the cemetery.

The wind and the rain were brutal during our time inside the visitor's center (there is a reason why Normandy is dotted with huge, modern, energy-producing windmills).  But, thankfully it broke just a little as we walked out the door and down a long pathway.  I can remember vividly rounding a corner and seeing the cemetery... all of the white crosses and stars, the sea of green grass, our flag flying in the gusting wind.  It was a very emotional moment.








We lingered and wandered the cemetery for a while.  It's a place that demands sober reflection.  It's impossible not to do that.  We had a brief conversation with the kids before we came, making sure that they understood that this was not a place where we goof around, etc.  That was not an issue.  Somehow even children understand that this is a place where honor and respect is due, a place to walk, think, pray, weep.  And a place that encourages contemplation, conversation, and gratitude.









At the loggias at one of the ends of the cemetery are detailed stone and metal maps that describe the various battles -- land, sea, air -- during the landings:

Battle map.

The kids had many great questions.  Why did this happen?  What was the war about?  How old were the people here?   Where did they come from?  Do people come to visit them who knew them?  Are people still buried here today?  What do the writings mean on the headstones?  Why are most of them crosses, but some of them are stars?  Why does God let this kind of thing happen?


Many of my questions really aren't very different.  Are yours?

Me strolling with Justin, talking about... everything.

An unknown solder.

A Jewish star.

Like I said, it's a place that demands reflection.  And it was great for Kelly and I to have some of that for ourselves, but to also share it with our kids.  And to talk about what a horror war really is.  But that sometimes it seems necessary in such a fallen world.  And we talked about how Kelly and I hope that they never have to see a war like this one.  And about how much we owe to the soldiers whose bodies are buried in the ground on the coast of France (and elsewhere).  Most here never had a chance to get old enough to even have kids to have these kinds of conversations with.  The price of our freedom is high indeed.

I've read it somewhere -- I don't remember where -- but you can tell a lot about a people by how they treat their children.  And by how they treat their elderly.  And... by how they treat their war dead.  The American Cemetery in Normandy makes me proud to be an American.

And proud of our men and women who have served -- and who serve today -- in our armed forces.  Many thanks to you.  And I include my father in that.  I've very proud of his service to me, my family, our country in various ways in the military.  A visit to a place like Normandy brings that kind of sacrifice -- big and small -- in high relief.





Amazing place.

There was a lot left undone in Normandy.  The kids were wiped out after spending so much time at the American Cemetery, so we didn't get to Ponte du Hoc, or the German cemetery (which I heard is a fascinating place), or Utah Beach.  Nor the Big Red One museum, which I would have like to have seen as well as the beaches and cemeteries for our British and Canadian allies.  But it leaves plenty to come back to some day.  And I look forward to returning.  Until then, we have these enduring memories.  For us and for our kids.