Please join me in paying my respects at the many hallowed Normandy D-Day Sites and memorials…
Only by being there did I begin to appreciate the scale, audacity, and horror of that fateful enterprise launched on the morning of June 6, 1944. Standing on such hallowed ground where so many gave so much moved me to tears of grief, gratitude, anger, humility, and emotions I am still unable to put into words.
I hope this photo essay does justice to these sentiments as it recognizes and remembers the uncommon courage and ultimate sacrifice of the countless defenders of freedom who fought there.
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Longues-Sur-Mer
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Point du Hoc
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Arromanches
Arromanches. Code named Gold Beach, and home to the artificial harbor christened Port Winston, remnants of which remain to this day…
The Arromanche360 museum immerses you in the chaos and terror of the invasion in sound and image…
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Saint Mere Eglise
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American Cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer
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British Commonwealth Cemetery in Bayeux
The reverence that the French have for the fallen is both seen and felt…
Take the time read the incredibly moving inscriptions…
but be prepared to “lose it”, as I did on many occasions…
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German Cemetery at La Cambe
The somber, understated German Cemetery at La Cambe is a sobering reminder that there were victims on both sides of the war…
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Omaha Beach
The Omaha Beach memorial museum preserves the history of and houses important artifacts from the invasion…
The gut-wrenching, first-hand accounts of the veterans are particularly worth your time and attention…
Some precious artifacts: Sand from Omaha Beach, British Razor, German land mine flag, Canadian machine gun shell, American Bandage, German Dog Tag from a fallen soldier…
Paying my respects as I wept on Omaha Beach…
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Ernie Pyle’s Writing
Before leaving, please take a few minutes to read three of Ernie Pyle’s gut-wrenching and heartbreaking observations after he landed in Normandy just a few days after the D-Day invasion:
- A Pure Miracle (June 12, 1944)
- The Horrible Waste (June 16, 1944)
- A Long Thin Line (June 17 ,1944)
And consider how we all might contribute to bridge building and peacemaking in our daily lives.
Thanks & Peace.
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Hallowed ground indeed. The energy of these places continue to exist, allowing us to feel the grief and power. I hope we humans never forget the suffering we cause ourselves. Thank you for sharing this beautiful post.
Thanks so much for adding your thoughts and feelings, Alegria. Alas, we still lots of work to do. All the best.
Prayers sent 🙏 the scale of death and the bravery unprecedented ..
Hear hear, Sue. I really did weep tears of grief, gratitude, anger, humility, and emotions I am still unable to put into words.
🙏🙏🙏
I visited the beaches of Normany just before the 40th anniversary of D-Day. May this memory never be lost. May its terrors always bring tears, and resolve.
A few minutes ago I read today’s newsletter from historian Heather Cox Richardson, commemorating the day and putting it in context of today’s challenges.
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/june-6-2024
More tears.
More resolve.
Bon courage.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and feelings and the Heather Cox Richardson piece, Teresa. And all the best to you, wherever you are.
I can’t imagine anyone looking at these photos and reading those Ernie Pyle columns and not being immensely moved by their power. War is a far greater hell than any of us have the ability to grasp. Terrific post, Frank, thank you.
Thanks, as always, for your most thoughtful and sensitive commentary, Larry. I’ve not served in the military, but have payed my respects at many battlefields around the world. In particular, I wept on Omaha Beach, unable to imagine the hell and humbled beyond words.