TRIP TO VISIT SITES IN NORMANDY WORTHWHILE

Photo of grave marker of E.B. Herndon of Cleveland County, NC at Normandy American Cemetery When my wife suggested we visit Normandy, France for our twentieth wedding anniversary, I immediately agreed before she could change her mind. One of my life goals was to visit Omaha Beach, site of one of the five Allied landing beaches on D-Day- June 6, 1944. Despite fierce opposition from the German occupiers, the Allies were able to establish beachheads that eventually led to the liberation of France and the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Karen and I spent the first week of January visiting sites in northern France made famous by the Allied push against Hitler’s soldiers. The Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha Beach is one of the most recognizable landmarks associated with World War II. Even in January, every blade of grass was green and evenly mowed. The geometrically aligned grave markers were artistically striking in their perfection. I view such attention to detail as the ultimate sign of respect. My goal when I visited the cemetery was to locate three grave markers- two soldiers from Cleveland County, and one soldier from Illinois whose last name was Stroupe. The cemetery is organized so that finding the three markers was relatively easy. Cleveland County natives Staff Sergeant Earnest B. Herndon, Jr. and Private First Class Gentry Singleton both sacrificed their lives in battles subsequent to D-Day and are buried in the cemetery. Private Martin B. Stroupe of Illinois also made the ultimate sacrifice in the defeat of German Nazism. The sign-in book at the Visitor’s Center informed me that 427,339 Americans visited the cemetery in 2006. But even more impressive was the fact that 998,656 non-Americans also toured the grounds that year. It was proof to me that the sacrifices these soldiers made have not been forgotten. One of the most impressive monuments in France is a sculpture erected in 2004 on the west end of Omaha Beach near St. Laurent sur Mer. Named “Les Braves,” it was designed by a French woman who wanted to insure that succeeding generations of Frenchmen never forgot the sacrifices made by the Allied liberators. The left side of the sculpture represents “Wings Of Hope” and is dedicated to the spirit of the liberators that “continues to inspire us.” The middle section of the sculpture- “Rise, Freedom”- stands tall and strong, symbolizing those who rose against barbarity and inhumanity. And finally, the right side represents the “Wings of Fraternity” to remind all people of their brotherhood and their responsibility toward others. It was a moving tribute to the soldiers of D-Day, and when I read the inscriptions aloud, it was the most moving moment of my trip. Especially touching was the fact that it was designed by a French citizen. I had read they didn’t like Americans and had long since forgotten the price paid for them over sixty years ago. This monument provided me evidence that this assertion is false. Utah Beach proved to be less bloody than Omaha Beach for the Americans. The monuments, however, are equally impressive. I made sure to fill a plastic bag with sand from both Utah and Omaha Beaches as a souvenir. My bottles of sand from Normandy are now proudly displayed on the mantle of our home and in my office at work. No trip to Normandy would be complete without a visit to St. Mere Eglise, site of the first Airborne paratrooper drop behind enemy lines on D-Day. Made famous by the movie “The Longest Day,” the chapel in the center of town is open to visitors at all times, except during services. John Steele, an American paratrooper, dangled helplessly for hours during the invasion when his parachute became tangled in the church steeple. A life-size replica of the soldier attached to a parachute hangs from the corner of the steeple even today. Inside the church is an impressive stained-glass window featuring the Mother Mary holding Baby Jesus while parachutists drop all around her. Most of the museums associated with World War II are closed in January. I was not discouraged by that reality. The landmarks and the monuments were much more significant to me. However, the one museum I most wanted to see just happened to be open when we passed through St. Come-du-Mont near Carentan. Located at Dead Man’s Corner, the Paratrooper Museum is dedicated to the “Band of Brothers” of the 101st Airborne Division. Featured in the book by Stephen Ambrose and the television series produced by Home Box Office, the 101st played a crucial role in the liberation of France. The museum is a former residence where both German and American headquarters were located at different times. The intersection received its nickname due to the presence of a burned out American tank during the push toward Carentan. The first tank to arrive in the area was bombed out by the Germans, leaving the tank commander dead and slumped over the turret of his Sherman tank. His body remained there for several days during the fierce fighting and became somewhat of a landmark by which other soldiers could navigate their way. I stayed at the museum until it closed for the day. I read every word of each display, fascinated by the personal accounts and pictures. The uniform of my hero, Major Dick Winters was displayed prominently. He bravely led the Band of Brothers to victory after victory during the war, and showed incredible courage and leadership while defending Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. An abundance of information about Major Winters is presented at www.majordickwinters.com. Our travels took us to places like Pointe du Hoc, where American Rangers scaled the cliffs amidst German gunfire and hand grenades. Looking down from the remains of the German bunkers above, it was difficult for me to even imagine how much courage it took for those men to climb up the sides of the cliffs while bullets and grenades rained down on them. It is difficult to express or accurately convey the emotions I felt as I visited site after famous site in Normandy, France. I am certainly not a war monger but I strongly believe those of us who live in freedom today are obligated to honor those who sacrificed for those freedoms long ago. At one point, while scanning one of the landing beaches, my wife said it best when she stated, “I’ve never been as proud to be an American as I am right now.” Our ancestors fought and many died to defend freedom in World War II. The least I can do is honor those sacrifices. We could have gone on a cruise for our twentieth anniversary. But we chose instead to visit Normandy, France. It is a decision I will never regret. The cruise can wait.