Normandy, France

---

---

I awake and anxiously board the train to Bayeux. This is the meeting point for the D-Day tour I booked, and I was so excited I could hardly stand myself. On the train, I met two other gentlemen, a father and son, that were also going to do the experience. Their tour was not until the next day, and we had good conversation concering what we may see.

Upon arrival, I had to make my way to my meeting point. I had directions on about how to get there, but I was still a little unclear. Off I go. I found my first marker which was a sign that points to a specific hotel. I make the turn, and I am in the town of Bayeux. Now I had to find the meeting point.I walked around the Tapestry a few times because the instructions say the meeting point is close by. I searched around, and after ten or fifteen minutes of looking, I see a sign on the side of a building with the meeting place name. I was at ease now, and I could enjoy myself in the town of Bayeux.

I walk around and this town is quite and is a beautiful place. Maybe it was just early, for there were not many people out. Anyway, I make my way to the centerpiece of Bayeux which is its magnificent cathedral, Notre Dame. This 1000-year-old church was absolutely beautiful. There were flags outside hanging on flagpoles around the church of the United States and Canada. These are two of the major countries that helped during the D-Day Invasion.

As time approached for the tour, I struck up a conversation with a married couple from Chicago. While chatting, they told me they had family in Georgia. They told me the city, and low and behold it was where I am from. I did not know their family, but small small world we live in. The tour bus pulls up, and it is time to load up and take off to our first destination.

I booked the Omaha Half Day Tour. The first destination was Longues Sur Mer Battery. We arrive, and after an explanation of this historic site, we were able to spend time walking around. The Longues ser Mer are a classic example of the pattern that was used for the Atlantic Wall built by Nazi Germany. I went inside some of the casemates of these batteries, and I was able to see a German naval gun behind the control bunker. Different feeling walking in the bunker. I could not imagine the conversations that went on there. Time was up, so on to our next stop which was the American Cemetery of Colleville Sur Mer.

We arrived at the memorial, and our tour guide gave us a brief history. She also provided us with a map of some notable people that were buried there. At that point she turned us lose to walk around for around forty five minutes or so. I make my way down the cemetary. It was row after row of white crosses. This brought a reality to me, for there were soldiers from probably most all of the United States. It didn't matter where a person was from, many met the same fate. Didn't matter their religion, race, or anything. Same fate. Anyway, I find some of the notable persons, walk to the end of the cemetary and back. It was an emotional place to say the least. There were many crosses that were for unknown soldiers. It was sad that the family may or may not have gotten the peace from just not knowing. I get back to our tour bus, load up, and off to Omaha Beach.

Omaha Beach is why I originally booked this tour. I wanted the experience of walking on this beach. Upon arrival, my anticipation was exceedingly high. I couldn't help to just look left and right as far as I could see. After the tour guide gave us an introduction to the beach, and an overview of just exactly what happened there, she turned us loose. Wow, I was about to set foot on a beach that is a symbol of the war. I gaze around, walk down this walkway, and I am now standing both feet on the sand. My mind was racing at this point. I could not even imagine haw many soldiers were in this very spot struggling for survival and not knowing if the next second would be their last. I look up the hill that they would have had to climb if they even made it this far. A total of 2,374 men from multiple military units died on Omaha Beach on D-Day. I look down to the sea to try and picture in my head how the beach looked that day. The sand was a whitesh beige color while I was there, but my mind was telling me it would have been a different color that day. I wanted to walk down to the sea, but it was actually a good walk, and their was a gully full of water I would have to cross to get there. Just not enough time to do this. So after about fifteen minutes or so, we load back up in the tour bus and head to our final destination Pointe Du Hoc.

When arriving at Pointe Du Hoc, we had to walk a little piece to get to the cliff area. This was the sight where the US 2nd Rangers Battalion unit scaled the 100 foot cliff. The was an amazing place, for the cliffs overlooked the water, and I would not have even attempted what those brave soldiers did that day. The landscape was pretty much left intact from the war, and there were many crater looking holes where the bombs fell. We were able to walk down in them and back up if we chose to do so. I definetly chose to do so. After looking around for awhile, we make our way back to the tour bus. The tour guide explains to us about the thick hedgerows the soldiers would have have to went through, and many met their fate by trying to clear through these. Thick, thick, thick were the hedgerows. It would have been a fearful thing trying to navigate through those and also being shot at. I have a whole new appreciation for the American soldiers after this tour.

We procede to get back on the tour bus and back to our meeting point. After our goodbyes, I make my way back to the train station. What a wonderful experience this was. The memories will last me a lifetime.

---