An anti-aircraft gun pit. It was safer to be in than some of the craters, believe me.
Today we went to Pont-du-Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American cemetery here in Normandy. It’s truly at the sites of actual battles, as well as where the victims of those battles lay, that you get a very powerful perspective on just how awesome and history-making these battles were. For example, at Pont-du-Hoc, we were able to see not only the ruins of several of the German embankments and bunkers, but the craters left behind by the bomb blasts! Some of those gaping holes, now full of grass and plant-life, were about ten feet deep and several feet across in diameter. And not only that, but the length of the battle was so long, like nearly a kilometer or so. You always think battles seem so contained, like they only occupy a single large field or a single building, but in reality, this was widespread, just like the chaos of war. It was mind-blowing to see all that with my own eyes.
And if I closed my eyes, I could almost hear the bombs and the battle going on around me.
Later on when we went to lay roses down on the graves of OSU veterans at the American cemetery, I saw a fraction of the casualties sustained because of the war, and I was completely stunned. Sometimes people talk about interventions in other countries or showing some force against those who threaten America (or whatever country one may belong too), but they don’t see the results, the many horrific deaths. In Normandy, those many, many crosses, with Stars of David interspersed here and there, are a stunning reminder of what happens when you go to war . Perhaps more people would be less likely to talk about using force if they saw these graveyards more often.
It’s strange how the past finds echoes in today’s world. I still find more reasons to remember the Second World War with every passing day, how it continues to influence my life in so many subtle ways. And I wonder what’ll happen tomorrow, what echoes I’ll come across or what shocking reminders I’ll find that war touched this tranquil corner of France?
I’m sure I’ll find out soon.