A pictorial tribute to our fallen brave who sacrificed so much so that we enjoy freedom seemed an obvious choice for today. Normandy is stunning in its beauty, belying the tragedy that took place that June day when very little went according to plan.
When visiting the beaches at Normandy, our first stop was the cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach, where rows upon rows of memorials engraved with crosses and stars of David named each private, infantryman, and sergeant who gave his life.
American military cemeteries around the world are considered U.S. territory.
A graphic of the attack plan included troop movements across the region once the beaches had been secured.
Bunkers, or casements, lined the five miles of beachfront, a seemingly non-penetrable force facing the Army troops.
As ships attempted to offload troops, long-range guns did incredible damage.
Every angle of the beach was covered.
Situated overlooking the beach, a map illustrated the scope of the landings. The arrows bordering the map pointed the way to various cities around the world as well as distances.
Three miles east of Omaha is Pont du Hoc, where the Army Rangers used rope ladders to scale the cliffs in an attack on German fortifications.
The land still bears the scars from air and naval gun attacks.
A loving tribute to the men who have fought so bravely and gave so much.
“(The fallen) should never be forgotten. Nor should those who lived to carry the day by the slimmest of margins. Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero.” –General Omar Bradley
Happy Memorial Day.