Day Seven - No Blue Bayeux on Gail's Birthday

Final Glance at Bayeux's Cathedral

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Actually it's impossible to go through Bayeux without going near Notre-Dame Cathedral. Even though I took this picture with the thought it might be my last chance, we ended-up driving by at least three more times in the next 24 hours. Even though this is a Romanesque church the flying buttresses were added as the church grew larger and bigger brighter windows were installed.

On to Omaha Beach

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While the other D-Day beaches we had visited seemed isolated and pristine, when we finally arrived at Omaha Beach 45 minutes after leaving Bayeux, it was pretty obvious that we had saved the most famous and overly developed sites for last. Coming into the town Colleville there was no shortage of signs indicating the route to the invasion site and the nearby American Cemetery. At almost the same instant that we entered the huge cemetery parking lot the skies opened up on us yet again. Cassie was D-Day done and stayed in the car while Gail and Grandma initially stayed in the car while I armed with my umbrella got out to check out the scene. The first thing I discovered was this German fortification on the far eastern side of Omaha. It had been armed with 75mm guns and protected by Tobruk-style machine gun nests set up to rake the wide beach below.

Fox Green and Easy Red

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Just outside the parking lot I got this view of the little valley or draw between the high bluffs on Omaha. The American troops' objective was to get through four different draws to get off the beach and into the Norman countryside. This draw is the E-3 and is the most earterly. The 1st Infantry Division landed below. In the chaos of the early morning with high seas, strong riptides and heavy German gunfire few of the troops landed in their designated areas. All the months of training for specific obstacles and objectives went out the window. This was where some of the heaviest casualties were reported.

A Pretty Simple but Informative Map of the Beaches

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Arromanches turned-out to be the perfect central base for our foray onto the 5 invasion zones being right in the middle of the action. The map makes Bayeux look much more strategic than it actually was. The bigger and more central town of Caen was the grand prize of the mission and the Germans were able to keep control of it for two more months.

My New Brolly Isn't Do Us Much Good Now

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Gail had joined me when the rain temporarily subsided. We walked along a well populated macadam path along the top of the cliff and adjoining the massive American Cemetery. As I was starting to explain what exactly we were looking at to Gail, the heavens exploded with the strongest deluge we had yet encountered on the trip. To make matters worse, the wind came whipping in off the sea and threatened to invert my brand new French umbrella.

Too Miserable to Take a Walk Down There

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Had it not been raining and had Cassie and Grandma not been waiting in the car and had I not been about to turn sixty and had I not been just too lazy to do it, Gail and I might have walked down to the beach on this well-maintained path. Just as well though because after looking at my maps of Omaha Beach, this was actually the one sector of Easy Red where no troops landed.

I Do Believe It's Letting Up a Bit

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Just another angle of the view from atop the bluff. The American Cemetery is right behind us.

Thanks Google Maps

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This gives a much better idea of where we were: Gail and I were standing on the white upside down "U" shaped path just above the white and pink memorial. That memorial is to the far right of the rows and rows of white crosses in the graveyard.

Just One Tiny Corner of the Immense Cemetery

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The rain may have tapered off but the wind was still whipping through as evidenced by the flags in this photo.

Beautifully Maintained Lawn

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Maybe because it was so wet or maybe it's always posted, but there were signs all over telling visitors to stay off the grass. I'd be a bit upset if I flew halfway around the world to see a grandfather's grave only to be denied the opportunity to get within 50 yards of it in the cemetery.

Pretty Sobering

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This is still only a tiny part of the immense graveyard.

Enough Sun to Cast a Shadow

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But not enough light to see the names on the grave markers. The wierd wacky weather of Normandy continues.

The Memorial and Reflecting Pool

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From the official site of the Normandy American Cemetery: "The memorial consists of a semicircular colonnade with a loggia at each end containing large maps and narratives of the military operations; at the center is the bronze statue, “Spirit of American Youth.” An orientation table overlooking the beach depicts the landings in Normandy. Facing west at the memorial, one sees in the foreground the reflecting pool; beyond is the burial area with a circular chapel and, at the far end, granite statues representing the United States and France. " As you can see, even though the rain drenched sidewalks hadn't dried, the tourists were back in full force.

Hard to Imagine What Happened Here

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The cemetery holds the mortal remains of 9,387 Americans most of whom died on these very beaches. The current cemetery is on the same site that the first casualties were buried. Over time Americans killed in action were reinterred from other burial sites and brought to this place.

Our Next Stop

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I didn't know it at the time but our self-guided tour would next take us down from the heights of the cemetery down to the town of Les Moulins on the beach.

Hopefully You Can Read This

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A nice concise summary of what happened on 6/6/1944.

Dog Red and Easy Green

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Once we returned to our car in the cemetery lot, we drove West and down off the bluf into the town of Les Moulins. Here is where elements of the 29th US Infantry landed. Their job was to secure the road we were on which dissected the hills overlooking the beach.

Memorials "Les Braves"

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One of many statues and memorials in the area, this is probably the most dramatic. It was commissioned by the French government on the 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004. It commemorates all those who gave and risked their lives to liberate France.

I Wonder if Any of These Homes Existed in 1944?

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Grass fires on this section of beach added to the mayhem and confusion of D-Day. Obviously the Germans had this section with the access road from the beach heavily guarded. American troops that weren't blown out of the water in their landing craft had great difficulty getting up this section of beach. Company G lost 14 men before they even reached the shingle on the beach. Enemy troops on the bluffs above rained down more fire on the Americans caught in the crossfire below.

Germans on the Bluffs

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From on top of these rather steep hills German artillery and machine guns inside concrete pillboxes fired down on the Yanks on the beach. Rrom Military History Online: "Company A of the 116th was due to land on this sector with Company C of the 2nd Rangers on its right flank. Several LCAs were hit and others had devastating fire brought upon them. Some reached the beach only to find there was no cover for them to hide behind and many returned to the water and the nearest obstacles. The enemy positions on the bluffs above were able to inflict heavy casualties. Fifteen minutes after landing, Company A was out of action for the day. Estimates of its casualties range as high as 66%. A Ranger company of 64 men (in two LCA's) landed shortly after near the Vierville draw. An antitank gun hit one LCA and a dozen men were killed while a machine gun opened up on the second LCA as the men debarked. When the Rangers reached the base of the cliff, they had lost 35 men."

Omaha Beach's Concrete Memorial

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All of the Invasion sites we had seen over the past three days had this same monument marking the position's significance.