Memorial Day and What it Means

Happy Memorial Day… an appropriate time to share photos from our recent visit to the beaches of Normandy. It is here that significant sacrifices were made in pursuit of the freedoms we hold dear. The photos tell a story that’s worth remembering.

As an American, the three most important sites to visit in Normandy are Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery.

We made footprints in the sand at Utah Beach and remembered the thousands who stood there before us.

Today, trotter horses can be seen training at Utah beach.

Normandy is a coastal region in northern France where, on June 6, 1944, Allied forces conducted a coordinated assault which was the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

France was occupied by Nazi Germany at the time, and the goal of the Allied invasion was to liberate France and Europe of Nazi control.

The invasion by troops from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and many other countries was given the name of “D-Day”.

The U.S. 4th Infantry Division came ashore on Utah Beach, the most western of the five landing areas in Normandy.

Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. received a Medal of Honor for his leadership at Utah Beach where nearly 200 casualties were sustained.

An American soldier still looks out over Utah Beach.

On the beach, a sign reads: The French remembrance in memory of the valiant soldiers of the United States for the liberation of France”.

A peace tree memorial was erected at Utah Beach.

Quotes about peace and remembrance adorn the leaves in different languages from around the world.

Around 156,000 Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy that day (June 6), and within a few days about 326,000 troops, 50,000 vehicles, and 100,000 tons of equipment had landed.

Some of the original vehicles and equipment from the invasion are on display throughout the region.

D-Day was set for June 5th but was delayed because of poor weather. Paratroopers began landing just after midnight, followed by a massive naval and aerial bombardment.

As 2,000 paratroopers faced a barrage of bullets across 9 square miles of sky, the chance of survival was 1 in 4.

In the village of Sainte-Mère-Église, a monument commemorates American paratrooper John Steele who pretended to be dead for two hours after his parachute got caught on a church steeple during the Normandy invasion. (See replica of parachute and paratrooper hanging from roof)

Steele was eventually taken prisoner by the Germans, but later escaped and rejoined his regiment. The movie “The Longest Day” was about John Steele and his experiences.

The interior of the church at Sainte-Mère-Église is lovely and peaceful.

The village is also home to the Airborne Museum which is dedicated to the U.S. paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

There are many interesting displays inside the museum.

Dedications to the American Airborne Division can be found everywhere… even on rooftops.

There was such a charm to the village that even the tiniest things grabbed my attention.

When Sainte-Mère-Église was occupied by the Germans, they took over this hotel and used it as their headquarters.

The 0 kilometer marker in front of what is now town hall represents the events that took place here marking the beginning of the liberation.

At Omaha Beach, American forces faced severe resistance.

The Germans knew Omaha was a critical link to the other assault areas, so it was heavily defended.

When Allied bombing failed to take out Nazi artillery, the first wave of American troops was cut down in droves by machine gun fire.

Gen. Omar Bradley nearly abandoned the operation, but U.S. forces persisted, pushing forward to the steep cliffs at Omaha Beach.

U.S. Army Rangers scaled these 100-foot cliffs and seized the deadly German artillery pieces.

During the invasion, peaceful homes on the other side of the cliffs were abandoned.

A monument at Pointe du Hoc, a high point on the beach, was erected by France to honor the U.S. Rangers who fought there.

Most obstacles on the beach have long since been removed and trenches have been filled, but bunkers built by the Germans are too big to get rid of.

Bullet markings and shell holes made on D-Day by the advancing Americans can still be seen.

All told, around 2,400 American troops were killed, wounded or missing after the fighting on Omaha Beach.

The National Guard Monument is in remembrance of the National Guard Units which participated in the amphibious assault on D-Day.

The monument was built on top of a German Bunker that had inflicted heavy casualties on the National Guardsmen of the 29th Infantry Division as they landed on the beach.

By June 11, all 5 beaches were secured by Allied forces.

By August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and on May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered.

A once deadly beach…

… is peaceful now.

D-Day proved to be a critical turning point in the war. Without the brilliant planning and heroic sacrifices of the invasion, the Nazi reign in Europe might not have ended.

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial honors American troops who died in Europe during WWII.

The cemetery is located on the site of a former battlefield cemetery in Saint Laurent.

The memorial in the cemetery includes maps and details of the Normandy landings and the military operations that followed.

The cemetery covers 172.5 acres and contains 9,388 burials.

With over a million visitors a year from all over the world, the American cemetery displays the global significance of the sacrifices made in WWII. Thank you, Veterans!

Now, THIS is the real meaning of Memorial Day.

More photos from our trip to France will be coming soon.