Normandy, France

On June, 6, 1944, the beaches of Normandy, France, became a part of history. In the past, they were simply referred to as the beaches of the Cote de Nacre, between the Orne and the Vire. After this date, they were to be forever known as Sword, Juno, Gold and Omaha. The most famous of these is Omaha Beach. The fighting was so intense here, it was nicknamed "Bloody Omaha." Today, it's once again a peaceful and beautiful place. Still, no one will ever forget what happened here. This monument is just off of the sandy beach. It says (both in French, and in English), "The Allied Forces landing on this shore which they call Omaha Beach liberate Europe - June 6th 1944." Just behind the other monument, is this sculpture. It's called Les Braves (The Braves), by Anilore Banon. It consists of three parts: "The Wings of Hope- so that the spirit that carried these men on June 6th, 1944 continues to inspire us, reminding us that together it is always possible to change the future. Rise, Freedom! - so that the example of those who rose against barbarity, helps us remain standing strong against all forms of inhumanity. The Wings of Fraternity - so that this surge of brotherhood always reminds us of our responsibility towards others as well as ourselves. On June 6, 1944 these men were more than soldiers, they were our brothers." Not too far away is the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. It was established the the United States 1st Army on June 8, 1944, and was the first American Cemetery in Europe in WWII. It sits on a cliff, overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. This statue is called "The Spirit of American Youth". The cemetery covers 172.5 acres.There are 9,387 American soldiers buried here. This is a view of Omaha Beach and the English Channel from the cemetery. The next morning, we finished our weekend in Normandy with a visit to the Caen-Normandy Memorial Centre for History and Peace. Not only did it have exhibits on WWII, it covered all of the wars. Our weekend in Normandy was very educational. It was interesting to see first hand where these battles took place, instead of just reading about it in a book.