Evendays

The Germans had fortified the entire Normandy coast with heaven weaponry and machine guns. Most of the heavy canon were not knocked out by air, but by sea (the battleship Arkansas and two French ships took out these canons after a day-long battle) or by ground troops (think Pointe du Hoc).

At Colleville, the French have given to America a large plot of land above Omaha Beach. 9,387 US soldiers are buried there. You will also find a wall inscribed with the names of over 1000 soldiers who went missing in action during the Normandy campaign. It is moving to walk the pathways that lead along the beach cliffs past thousands of white crosses, along with the occasional Star of David, which sprout out of the well-kept lawns. Both Wife and I where surprised by the number of French visitors, young and old, who were visiting the graves. The cemetery is beautifully maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Over 20,000 Germans are buried in this simple cemetery near Cambe. Several thousand of the grave markers simply read: Ein Deutscher Soldat. It is small, austere, and a place for deep reflection.

You can click on all the pictures of the last few days for enlargements.