MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 (Be sure to check Marthas Blog for lots of pictures)
Slept in a few hours but by 9 AM we were off to revisit the Caen-Normandie War Memorial to finish the tour that we started late yesterday afternoon. This museum begin with a downward spiral stroll on a circular walkway , tracing the path Europe followed from the end of World War I to the rise of fascism to World War II. The lower level gives a thorough look at how WW2 was fought – from General Charles de Gaulle’s London radio broadcasts to Hitler’s early missiles to wartime fashion to the D-Day landings. And then you see that powerful movie, Jour J (D-Day) which is a 40 minute film that shows the build-up to D-Day itself, showing a split screen with the German Army on one side and the Allies (Countries united against Hitler) on the other half. No language is needed to understand the powerful message of this movie…. From D-Day on it shows the successful campaign as the Allies work their way to Berlin. Most all of the film is from footage of actual battle scenes.. I was just now checking Rick Steves book and it looks like we may have missed several other sections to this museum. But a total of four hours will have to do us. These other sections have more to do with events after the end of WW2 so will not try to go back again. Outside the museum I was taking a picture of a glass enclosure full of markers with historic remarks of WW2, one in each language of soldiers who fought in the war, when I realized that I was reflected in the glass and all the flags across the way were also reflected. We came back to this and did more pictures of the two of us….. I will try to post one at the top of this blog.

Leaving Caen we headed for Omaha Beach to find the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial with a stop first in Bayeux to view the famous Tapisserie de Bayeux. Made of wool embroidered onto linen cloth, this precious-to-historians document is a 70 yard cartoon that tells the story of William the Conqueror’s rise to be the king of England. Long and skinny, it was designed to hang in the nave of Bayeux’s cathedral and was made during the 11 century. The entry fee included a audioguide that explained the story as we walked alongside the Tapisserie.

Then we headed over to the Bayeux Cathedral, which is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Some of the windows are still done in beautiful stain glass.
This building was also built during the 11th century and over the years has had reconstructive work done to preserve it. We even went downstairs to the “spooky” crypt area below the main altar. But for me the best part was that one area of the church where I found two side chapels next to each other. St. Anthony of Padua and St. Theresa of Lisieux…………these two have, during this trip, become my favorite patron saints and to find them next to each other was a real blessing for me.

Driving through the old small French towns that hug the Normandy coastline we continued to watch for signs to the American Cemetery. Soon we were behind a large tourist bus so decided they must be headed the same way…… following them we soon arrived. at the American Cemetery and Memorial that is located above the Omaha Beach.

They have a new Visitor Center (2007) that depicts the significance and meaning of “Operation Overlord” (D-Day) and honors the values and sacrifices of the World War II generation. Beyond this building…. Down a winding path along side the Omaha beach overlooks you soon find the memorial, a reflecting pool, chapel and the graves.

The Memorial features a 22 foot statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves,” facing west toward the over 9,000 headstones where our servicemen and women lie beneath precisely aligned headstones of white Lasa marble Latin crosses and Stars of David…… I can`not image the feelings of people who are looking in this massive cemetery for their family, friends, buddies and companions who lie here in this hollowed ground. Back behind the Memorial we saw a newly built area called “The Garden of the Missing” ….. Engraved tablets honor the missing in action who gave their lives in this region. A bronze rosette beside a name shows that the remains were later recovered, identified and buried.

Traveling back through more old French Towns, again hugging the coastline, we now looking for Longues-sur-Mer where we would find four German bunkers with guns intact, built to guard against seaborne attacks on the city. The guns, 300 yards inland, were arranged in a semicircle to maximize the firing range east and west, and are the only original guns remaining in place in the D-Day region. Then we did the walk out to the beach cliffs to see the lone observation bunker directing the firing. From there we could appreciate the strategic views over the channel….. both ways you looked at beaches far down the Cliffside stretched for many miles all along the seashore. You could both here and at Omaha Beach walk a very steep path down to the actual beach… actually it would have been much easier at Omaha but due to arthritis in my foot we decided to forego the walk up and down the Cliffside’s. …

Soon we were finding our way back to Caen, again following the signs to “Le Memorial”
That we knew would take us back to the F1 Hotel. Tonight was a noisy one as we had a full bus load of French teenagers staying at our hotel…..we were glad when they finally setting down close to midnight… kind of like being in a hostel but without the fun of exchange with them.

I am writing this on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 as Martha has finally said yes to my request for a “full” day off…. Plans for today include computer catch up time, photo deleting work, cards and reading our books…. With our feet up on the bed…..