The massive Allied assault on the Normandy coastline on June 6, 1944 aimed to liberate France and drive into Nazi Germany.
Beginning at 0630 hours, US, British and Canadian divisions landed on Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches in history’s greatest amphibious assault.
On Omaha Beach the US 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions battled German resistance over beaches bristling with obstacles. To reach the plateau above the beach, troops fought across an open area up to 200 yards wide and attacked up the steep bluffs. By the days end, the Americans held fragile control of Omaha Beach.
Walking into the cemetery sent a chill down our spines, goosebumps jumping off our skins & tears streaming down our cheeks.
The cemetery site, at the north end of its half mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,389 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. There were also 45 pairs of brothers buried together. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial, are inscribed 1,557 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.
Walking these hallowed grounds and looking across the fields of seemingly never ending white crosses stops you cold, as emotions flood your being. Tears flow down your cheeks, goosebumps rise right off your arms and chills are sent to your soul. These are our countrymen, our American soldiers that gave everything to stop tyranny and maintain our freedoms. To change the course of history by protecting our allies and fighting for justice and truth. We are so proud of them and eternally grateful to them. It felt most important today to walk close to their graves and thank them for giving their lives to protect us. A sacrifice that can never be repaid. They gave their lives for our freedoms.
It is memorials like these that help preserve the memories of what mankind has been through, and teach the important lessons that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana (1863-1952). Lessons that should be mandatory for those who will inherit tomorrow. For those today that remember, we will never forget.
