Omaha Beach & Pointe du Hoc

After visiting the cemetery, we continued on the Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc. Nothing can prepare you for Omaha Beach. Our guide explained how the first wave suffered catastrophic losses - there were 50,000 German troops waiting for them and the first wave suffered 80% casualties. But they kept coming. The second wave had 50% casualties and by the time the third wave came ashore, casualties were down to 20%. In total, the Allies landed 150,000 men and an additional 100,00 arrived by air. 

The Headlands

Bomb crater over 26 feet deep from a 1,000 pound bomb.

View from Pointe du Hoc which lies 4 miles west of center of Omaha Beach. On D Day, the US Army Provision Ranger Group attacked and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs. 

Observation bunker,

More bomb craters.

One of three German ammunition storage locations.

On June 7, 1944, a patrol from the 2nd Ranger Battalion located the main ammunition store. The Rangers utilized explosives to detonate the bunker and the 18 tons of store munitions inside. The massive explosion scattered concrete pieces weighing up to 40 tons as far as 100 feet away (above and below).

Normandy American Cemetery

Our itinerary for May 15th made this he most important day of the trip for all of us, and the reason why we chose this particular tour. We started the day at D-Day Academy, a privately owned collection of military equipment, vehicles and uniforms. We listened to a one hour lecture about the invasion. Although we fancied ourselves WWII buffs, it was humbling to hear how much we didn't know. After the lecture, we headed to the Normandy American Cemetery. The cemetery was was dedicated in 1956 and receives more than one million visitors each year. It is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. Covering 172 acres - land given permanently to the United States by France in gratitude - it contains the remains of 9,389 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and the ensuing military operations. The cemetery is generally closed to new internments, as it serves as a permanent shrine to those who died during WWII. In June 2018, Julius Pieper was buried next to his twin brother Ludwig, becoming the 9,388 service member buried at the cemetery; in July 2022, 2nd Lt William McGowan became the last person to be buried in Normandy, after his remains were discovered and identified during an excavation in 2019.

The reflecting pool

View of Omaha Beach from the cemetery.

The graves are marked by white marble crosses in perfect formation, as far as the eye can see. The men of the greatest generation.

Grave of Theodore Roosevelt Jr, Medal of Honor recipient. Roosevelt led the first waves of troops ashore at Utah Beach on D Day. He died a month later, from a heart attack, at age 56.

Grave marker of an unknown soldier.

Chapel

The headstones are Lasa marble and are cleaned exclusively by the American Battle Monuments Commission and official French caretakers (as seen here). 

Represents the rising American youth from the waves.

The semi-circular garden walls bear the names of 1,557 service members declared missing in action in Normandy. Most of them were lost at sea, including more than 489 who were lost in the sinking of the SS Leopoldville. Nineteen of the names have a bronze rosette near to their name, some of which can be seen in the photo below, which means that their body was recovered and identified after the cemetery's dedication.

Deauville

While in the Normandy region, we stayed at the Hotel Barriere Le Normandy in Deauville, France. Although it was cool and rainy during most of our time in Normandy, we really loved Deauville. Due in part to its proximity to Paris, Deauville is one of the most notable seaside resorts in France, often referred to as the Parisian Riviera. from 1066 until 1860, Deauville was led by a series of mayors and was renown for its horse farming. In the early 1860s, the half brother of Napoleon III transformed Deauville into a more travelled resort, making key investments that would transform the area into a holiday resort for the international upperclass. In the early 20th century, many luxury boutiques opened in Deauville, including Coco Chanel's first shop. Today, Deauville is home to the American Film Festival and several important horse races, as it is internationally known for its race tracks and thoroughbred horses.

Our room at the Hotel Barriere.

Hotel Barriere (built in 1912 in the traditional style of Normandy).

Promenade des Planches, where art deco beach cabins are dedicated to famous actors and moviemakers that have visited Deauville.

We made the most of our time in Deauville, walking the beach morning and night.

One morning, we caught a beautiful rainbow (and made it back to the hotel before the rain!)

Mornings in Deauville

 

 It was not unusual to see horses on the beach and in the water.