From London to Bayeux! Two completely different cities yet both just as beautiful and interesting as the last. Bayeux France was one of the quaintest and quietest places I have ever visited. It embodied the spirit of a small city tucked away in the French countryside. In Bayeux, we got to experience some of the beauty of France as well as some delicious food, including my first taste of escargot! From Bayeux, we made our way to the Normandy Beaches, where the United States troops fought over 70 years ago to liberate France from the German Occupation on D Day. First, we went to Utah Beach, the most successful of the beach landings. This is, in part, because the troops actually landed off target and therefore avoided the heavy bombardments set up by the German defense. We also saw Omaha beach, where the bloodiest part of the battle with the most casualties took place. It was difficult to stand there and remember that thousands of men gave there lived in this exact spot 70 years ago. It is hard to believe today that such a tragic battle was fought on these grounds. Seeing both of these beaches and learning more about the events of D Day was a very intense experience. The strategy and tactics employed by Eisenhower and his men to decided where and when to invade in order to weaken the Germans and take Cherbourg (one of the largest ports to bring in supplies) must have taken immense time and intelligence.
One of my favorites D Day sites we visited was Pointe Du Hoc. Pointe Du Hoc was the scene of one of the landings during the D Day invasion. It was a point between Omaha beach and Utah beach that the Germans occupied and planted six heavy artillery guns that could seriously hider the Allies’ efforts. It was the job of US rangers to scale these 90 foot cliffs under German gun fire and destroy the German artillery. After learning about the mission at Pointe Du Hoc and then seeing it, I could not believe these men could accomplish such a task. I had the pleasure of meeting a man whose father was one of those Rangers on D Day in 1944. He told of how his father scaled the cliffs as a medic ranger and helped save several men in his battalion. His father passed later in the war but kept a journal that told of his experiences during D Day. This man was able to meet some of his father’s fellow rangers and they told storied of how he had saved their lives. His father is commemorated on a plaque and Pointe Du Hoc today. I loved hearing this story after seeing Pointe Du Hoc. It was amazing to see the huge craters created by the overhead bombs and the German bunkers left in shambles. I have learned a ton so far on this trip and cannot wait to see what’s next.
