The Price of Freedom

After spending a few days in London, we continued our week-long adventure in Normandy.  We rented a house in a village called Athie and used the home as a base from which we went and visited numerous sites within the Normandy region.  The first sites that we visited on Thursday were all related to D-Day and the various beaches and campaigns launched here in the Normandy region.

We first made our way over to the American Cemetery that maintains over 9,300 soldiers’ graves.  It was very overpowering to see all the headstones and how they just kept going for what seemed like forever.  The location of the cemetery is such that it overlooks the Omaha beach that the American troops landed on and fought to take from the Nazi troops stationed there.  It is very humbling to think that a lot of the men who are buried here were actually killed trying to take back the very ground that they are now buried in.  Both E & myself were quite taken aback by the historic feeling that was in the air throughout the whole region.  It was really odd to see all the American flags flying around and see so many people leave such kind thoughts in the guest book concerning the sacrifices that America made in liberating Europe.

 This is a picture of just a section of one of the 10 areas of graves within the cemetery.  It was like a sea of headstones...

 

The cemetery overlooks a section of Omaha beach and if you look behind the kids you can see just how rough of terrain the soldiers had to face in order to come and attack the Nazis.
 

When you compare this terrain to the terrain of the nearby Utah beach you can see how much of a real obstacle the Omaha beach front played for the troops.  We took a tour through the nearby visitor center and it was really interesting to see all the various exhibits and the numerous films that discussed the sacrifice made by so many.

Ms. A was very intrigued by the small dummy paratroopers that were dropped by planes prior to the invasion.  The dummies helped to confuse the Germans as to where the invasion was really set to occur.  When a dummy hit the ground it had a small bomb in it that would go off and it made it sound like it was firing bullets at the German troops.

The kids on the beach front of Omaha beach.  It was really sad to think of how such a pretty area saw such massive destruction.

This is the Les Braves monument that the French had made to commemorate the sacrifices and efforts made by the soldiers who stormed Omaha beach.  There was a quote from the artist who made the monument which explains the three different shapes of the sculptures used.

The Wings of Hope
So that the spirit which carried these men on 6th June 1944, continues to inspire us, reminding us that together it is always possible to change the future.
Rise of Freedom
So that the example of those who rose up against barbarity, helps us remain standing strong against all forms on inhumanity.
The Wings of Fraternity
So that the surge of brotherhood always reminds of our responsibility towards others as well as ourselves.  On 6th June 1944, these men were more than soldiers, they were our brothers.

Once we had finished the tour of the American Cemetery, we headed over to see a site that for the most part has been left untouched since the invasion took place.  The site is called Pointe du Hoc and it is situated above the cliffs that were scaled by American Rangers as they attempted to disarm and destroy a pair of very large guns that the Germans had on the beach front.  It was really eye-opening to see how deep the craters from the shells and bombs actually were.  I don't think that I ever imagined that a shell could do so much damage to the ground, but some of the craters from the shells were literally 20-25 feet deep.

Here some pictures the cliffs that were scaled by the Rangers as they fought to overtake the Nazi gun position.

The monument place at the Pointe du Hoc by the French to commemorate the sacrifice of the Rangers in taking the Pointe.

 
Around the whole area there were still the original/intacted Nazi bunkers and gun housings.  The walls of concrete on these things were almost 2-3 feet thick, you could tell the Nazis were expecting a big fight!

Ms. A & Mr. L inside one of the bunkers.  It was pitch black and there we no windows anywhere.

The kids standing on top of one of the many gun housings.

 After all was said and done, it was a very patriotic experience for everyone.  I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend the time talking with my kids about how great sacrifices have been made by those before them to ensure that they have the freedoms that they now enjoy.  It was also very special to actually be able to walk in the same place where so many brave men/women laid down their lives in the name of freedom.  Throughout the whole time I was there, I couldn't help but think about Moroni and The Title of Liberty.

"In Memory of our God, our religion, our freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children."

-Alma 46:12 The Book of Mormon