Several years ago my family had the privilege of visiting the beaches of the Normandy Invasion at the sites of the American D-Day landings - codenamed Omaha Beach and Utah Beach. The following pictures were taken by Mr. H.
June 6, 1944 D-Day
"a mighty armada crossed a narrow strip of sea from England
to Normandy, France and cracked the Nazi grip on western Europe"
Omaha Beach
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II cemetery and memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, that honors American soldiers who died in Europe during World War II.
The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. It covers 172 acres, and contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations in World War II. The graves face westward, towards the United States.
Pointe du Hoc is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy. It lies 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 100 foot tall cliffs overlooking the sea. It was a point of attack by the United States Army Ranger Assault Group commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, "Rudder's Rangers".
Utah Beach
THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO ITS SONS
THAT LOST THEIR LIVES
IN THE LIBERATION OF THESE BEACHES
JUNE 6, 1944
There aren't words to describe the feeling of standing on the very ground were so many brave Americans gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today.