My wife and I are children of World War II parents. My father was an chemical engineer in the Manhattan Project. My father-in-law was a ship fitter at the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard, essential to replacing our ships destroyed at Pearl Harbor. My wife’s uncle stormed ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Last month, we traveled to France, in part to see the Normandy Region, and Omaha Beach. Having had long conversations about my wife’s uncle’s D-Day experience with him, we knew going to Omaha Beach would be personal and special.
Standing on the sand below the ramparts which formed the German position, we were not disappointed. Our respect for the daring and courage of the men who landed on the Normandy Beaches that fateful day in 1944 grew enormously when we saw how difficult the terrain made their advance.
The experience of seeing the rows of crosses and Stars of David marking more than 9,000 graves of American servicemen was highly emotional and inspirational.
I strongly recommend a trip to the Normandy Beaches to any student of American history, anyone with a relative involved in WWII, or anyone who wants to pay honor to the men who payed the ultimate price defending our country, and all the best it stands for.
We traveled to Normandy by rental car. We chose not to take a packaged tour. That way we could create our own tour and linger where we wanted.
We started our Normandy tour in Caen, located about 15 km from the English Channel and the Normandy Beaches, at the Caen Memorial (Le Mémorial de Caen, un musée pour la paix). The Caen Memorial, has a well-deserved reputation as the best World War II museum in France. Should you desire, you can take guided tours to the D-Day beaches from the Memorial.
The Memorial’s main exhibit includes incredible video presentations of D-Day. The videos show the events from both the Allied and German perspectives. Also in the Memorial are models of bunkers, battleships and battlefields, French Resistance artifacts and a tribute to the Holocaust.
From there, we drove to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, located just behind the bluff along Omaha Beach, site of the German position at D-Day. We decided to give ourselves maximum time at Omaha Beach, rather that divide our time among the other D-Day Beaches and area sites. Omaha Beach is the most sacred Normandy battle site. It’s where my wife’s uncle fought and survived, where American forces suffered the heaviest fighting and loss of life during D-Day.
We walked along the edge of the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. From there you understood the precarious position of the Americans landing at Omaha. The German position was well above the beach. To get from the landing craft ramp, just to the base of the bluff, was a run of hundreds of yards, every inch in the sights of German guns. There was no cover on the beach.
As we turned away from the English Channel, the cemetery laid in front of us, with row after row of crosses and Stars of David identifying each grave. Beyond them was the Memorial, with its statue of “The Sprit of American Youth Rising From The Waves,” and the Garden of the Missing behind.
Looking at those graves of young men, you had to take a deep breath. A feeling a reverence hits everyone as they encounter the cemetery. As we walked among the graves of these brave men who never returned home, we heard nothing but silence, except the sound of distant waves crashing on Omaha Beach. This was a time to reflect.
We drove to nearby St. Laurent sur Mer, and the Beach itself. We stopped at the German bunker at the low point along the hill at Omaha Beach, the first fortified blockhouse taken by the Americans on D-Day. Then we stepped on to Omaha Beach itself.
The beach is no longer covered in small pebbles like it was on June 6, 1944. Omaha Beach now has a peaceful, sandy slope leading on to a rise of dunes. Above the beach, atop the bluff, the German position is now a serene screen of evergreen trees protecting the American Cemetery and Memorial.
In St. Laurent, at the Beach, is the original memorial from the French people to the American forces. Directly on Omaha Beach is the brilliant sculpture, “Les Braves,” a memorial to the American forces at Omaha Beach by Anilore Banon. It has three elements: The Wings of Hope, Rise Freedom, and the Wings of Fraternity. I don’t think there can be a more fitting memorial.
This was a trip we will forever remember, one that touched our souls. If you can get there, this is a destination you won’t ever forget.
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Seeing the American cemetery is a must for everyone.
It is beautifully done and so respectful it made me very proud to be an American.
My husband and I are planning a visit next year. If anyone has traveled there and not rented a car, I would love to hear your tips. It seems to me that travel from Paris to Omaha Beach is unreliable unless you are with a tour.
Another place to visit if you get the chance, is the war cemetery at Arnhem – “A bridge too far”. I was taken there nearly 50 years ago and I still remember it and the impression it made like it was yesterday.
Natalie, I understand anyone’s reluctance to drive in a foreign country. Plus, in Europe, train travel is so good and available that I know my wife and I use the train constantly when there.
Initially we were going to take the train to Caen and pick up a battlefield tour there. If you don’t drive there, or rent a car once you’re in Normandy, I don’t know any way to see the battlefields and beaches unless you take a tour.
Taking a train from Paris to Caen and back is easy. Some take a very early train, take a tour, then return to Paris in the evening. I don’t suggest that. It would be a breakneck day. If you take the train, considering this is vacation, I’d take a more leisurely approach and stay in the area overnight.
That being said, it was our travel agent who suggested we rent a car and drive to Normandy and visit the area. We ended up staying in the Normandy area for two nights. By driving, we feel we were able to see more, and had much better flexibility. In addition to the Normandy Beaches and Caen there were three other highlights for us in the region. We saw the amazing Bayeux Tapestry, the Rouen Notre Dame Cathedral and Rouen in general, and we visited Mont Saint-Michel and stayed on the island. We saw other places too, but we feel these are real Normandy highlights not to be missed. I know there are tours which see them, but we liked the ability to set our own pace. Had we visited Normandy a month or so earlier we would have made a point of stopping at Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny, either while driving to or from Paris.
As it turns out, once we completed our Normandy visit, we drove to Bruges, Belgium and spent a couple of nights there. On our way back to Paris from Bruges, we stopped off in Gent, and saw some other amazing sites.
I really feel, a car is the best way to see the area, but if you’re set against it, book a tour. You don’t have to do it out of Paris. You can book it from Caen.
Whatever you do, have a wonderful trip.
There’s always the bus verts – the green buses (google it). They don’t go very often, like five times a day, but they’ll take you to all the spots along the coast line: the cemetery, pointe du hoc etc. I spent sex nights recently at St Laurent Du Mer, close to the cemetery and with a little planning I could visit the places I wanted to see only by foot or bus. And it’s cheap.
Thanks Ned! We aren’t set in stone necessarily, I just wanted to confirm that it really comes down to a tour or a car. I’ll suggest the rental in Caen idea, that sounds like a workable solution.
Natalie: I am able to recommend many tour groups. But as Ned stated, seeing the area by car is the best way. Driving is not difficult in Normandy and you’ll be able to explore so much more of the area.
Best
I’ve been to Normandy and the beaches a few times (always by car) and echo the author’s feelings. My sons visited with me in 2003 when they were college students; the bravery of these young men (younger than my boys) was not lost on them. I recommend this trip for everyone, but for Americans – it hits the heart.