Known for its beautiful and scenic landscapes, the Bayeux countryside has much more to it than initially meets the eye. Blessed with lush, fertile lands and beautiful weather, both Bayeux and the greater Norman region have a long and rich history. From William the Conqueror’s tale of Victory in England, vividly depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, to the Allied landings in 1944, Normandy’s storied history unfurled like the pages of a novel to us everywhere we went. Even the daily bus rides told a story. One can imagine peasants of William the Conqueror’s age working the rolling country fields, or American GI’s fighting the Germans through the dense hedgerows. It is truly a powerful and provoking place.
Preparing for the trip, certain courses were required in order to meet the prerequisites of the trip, all being related to the subject of WWII in one way or another. In one class, History of WWII, we focused primarily on the military aspects of the war, whether it be tactics, the outcomes of battles, or even the equipment at certain force’s disposal. Normandy, the site of the largest amphibious assault ever (Operation Neptune), was the highlight of the course in my opinion. The infamy of the operation is enough to peak one’s interest. Visiting some of the beaches and fields that we learned about in class, where men fought and gave their lives in battle, provided the perfect summation of everything we had learned about. It is one thing to read a book or hear a lecture about how the Allied forces overcame the enemy on June 6, 1944 and the days that followed, but to actually visit the places where they stood and fought is something else entirely. It is indescribable. Seeing the cliffs of Utah beach and Pointe-du-Hoc force you to truly appreciate the magnitude of what happened there.
While these experiences allowed me to put an image to what I had learned, there was plenty of new information to absorb as well. While Omaha beach might be the most famous of the five beaches, earning the infamous moniker of “Bloody Omaha”, Utah was by far my favorite. To learn that it wasn’t even a part of the original invasion plan because it was so risky makes its success even more incredible. This was the same place that the legendary 101st Airborne had to protect the beachheads from German counterattacks by parachuting in the night before, and where General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., after landing in the wrong spot of the beach, famously said “We’ll start the war from right here!”
Visiting the Utah Beach Museum and learning about all the intricate parts of the invasion of just that beach made me marvel at how the invasion was ever a success. For example, the night before D-Day the 101st and 82nd Airborne dropped into Normandy to secure crucial causeways in order to prevent the Germans from mounting any successful counterattacks and pushing the Allied forces into the Channel as well as taking out enemy artillery that threatened the beachheads; however, difficult weather and intense flak from German anti-aircraft resulted in men getting scattered and landing far from their designated LZ, often several kilometers from their objective. Nevertheless, the majority of these men were not only able to find their units and objectives but were also able to successfully complete their missions, saving the lives of the thousands of men on the beaches.
Reading about things in class, while incredibly interesting and informative, only does so much. Seeing those famous places for yourself not only helps solidify the information you learned in class, but much more than that it forces you to understand the importance of it all. Not just the tactical strategies of the battle or the weaponry used in combat, but more importantly the sacrifices that were made there. The men who gave their lives fighting for something bigger than themselves.