Our recent trip to D-Day cemeteries in Normandy was a moving reminder that remembering the fallen honors sacrifice on both sides. You can't help but be moved, even in victory, by the futility and insanity of war. As our day in Normandy with tour guide Colin McGarry concluded in fading afternoon light, we visited the German and American D-Day cemeteries. La Cambe We hadn't requested a stop at La Cambe, the German cemetery, but true to form as he had been throughout the day, Colin knew to Continue Reading
Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach: Normandy Landing Sites
Our D-Day 70th anniversary exploration of Normandy landing sites led us to Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach where U.S. troops took heavy casualties to prevail against intense resistance. The first part of our D-Day 70th anniversary exploration had been spent at Utah Beach, and the villages of Sainte Marie du Mont and Sainte Mere Eglise, which had been liberated by paratroopers. Now we turned to even bloodier battle sites: Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach. It seems as though Continue Reading
Sainte Mere Eglise: Our Normandy D-Day Tour, Part 2
If you've ever watched The Longest Day, then you know the D-Day story of Sainte Mere Eglise in Normandy. Our visit, 70 years later, transported us back in time. The Longest Day, written by Cornelius Ryan, is well known as the gold standard of D-Day accounts. The classic movie based upon the book, was directed by Daryl Zanuck in 1962. It is filled with famous names and faithful to its source. Movie or book, we'd recommend this as a must prior to visiting Continue Reading
Normandy D-Day Tour, Part 1: Utah Beach and Ste-Marie-du-Mont
A Normandy D-Day tour is a great way to commemorate the Allied invasion's 75th Anniversary A visit to the beaches of Normandy is on many a bucket list. With the D-Day 75th Anniversary on June 6, 2019, a Normandy D-Day tour is a great way to pay your respects to the Greatest Generation, who brought forth a pivotal moment in WWII with their sacrifice and courage. Where is Normandy, France and where are the U.S.-relevant sites of the Normandy invasion? This first map of Normandy (click images twice Continue Reading