Norman Conquests (part II)

"This embattled shore, portal of freedom, is forever hallowed by the ideals, the valor and the sacrifices of our fellow countrymen." (~inscription on above colonnade)

The highlight of our D-Day sites tour was our visit to the Normandy American Cemetery. The entire place, especially the visitors center, were very well done and moving. The Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach where the Allied victory came at a huge cost of American lives. Here are 2 shots of Omaha Beach, one on the morning of June 6, 1944 and one on October 12, 2008.

The following 2-minute video is actually a marketing piece for the opening of the visitors center at the Normandy American Cemetery in 2007, but I think it gives you a taste of what we experienced as we walked on these beaches and sites where such pivotal events occurred.

We also visited the Rangers Monument at Pointe du Hoc (which we couldn't actually get to because it was blocked off). During the American assault on Omaha Beach, an American Ranger battalion scaled the 100-foot cliff at Pointe du Hoc to capture the German artillery that could have fired on US troops at Omaha Beach. You can tell by the massively scarred landscape around the Monument that the area was heavily bombed prior to the Rangers' arrival. (Also pictured: me in a mostly-destroyed German artillery bunker on the cliff at Pointe du Hoc.)

The other beach where American troops invaded Normandy on D-Day is Utah Beach. Again, here's a shot from D-Day and one from last weekend.

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”

~U.S. President Harry S. Truman