Omaha Beach and Cambe
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.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Only one word comes to mind, and it’s so over-used but is certainly appropriate………………awesome.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:47 am
At the cemeteries in Margraten and elsewhere in the Netherlands, Dutch people adopt a soldier. They take care of the grave and make sure that flowers are regularly brought. Many of them also take the time to research the soldier’s story and let the family know that he is well cared for. An interesting thought that has made the sacrifice real, even for the young generation of today who didn’t experience it.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Hi Scott: Yes, I saw that that was done on one of the web sites about the French cemeteries. A good idea, and something that doesn’t let people forget too easily the sacrifice of these soldiers.