Normandy, France: A Trip in the Footsteps of the Liberators

As my husband and I picked up our rental car atthat his queen Mathilda and her ladies-in-waiting
Charles de Gaulle International Airport and headedmade the tapestry.The next morning, we visited
west from Paris to Normandy, we lookedCentre Fuillaume le Conquerant, the renovated
forward to reliving "Operation Overlord," theseminary where the tapestry is on display. We
militarycampaign led by Supreme Alliedlistened, through audio head sets, to the historical
Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, in June 1944,account of events depicted by the tapestry as
that would free Europe from the Naziwe walked slowly along the window in which it is
occupation.We arrived in Caen, about 150 milesdisplayed. The tapestry's embroidered William
from Paris, in mid-afternoon and checked into ourdriving the traitor, Harold, out of England,
hotel. Caen is located on the Orne River, and isreminded us that war may be endemic to the
famous for its connection to William thehuman condition.After a brief stop for lunch, we
Conqueror. Favorite tourist sites in Caen includeheaded for Arromanches les Bains, the site of the
magnificent twin abbeys founded by William andcode-named "Mulberry Port," at the eastern end
his wife, Mathilda of Flanders, in 1060 as penanceof Omaha Beach, several miles from Bayeux.
to the Pope, and the ruins of Ducal Castle, theirBecause the Allies needed a coastal port to handle
favorite residence.One of the first objectives ofthe massive amount of provisions required to
Operation Overlord was to take control of Caen.support the invasion, British ships undertook the
German resistance at Caen was stiff, and 10,000unbelievable task of towing prefabricated parts
tons of Allied bombs demolished three-quarters ofacross the English Channel to build an artificial
its buildings, destroying and burning the cityport.The brainchild of Winston Churchill, Eisenhower
center, before the city was liberated by Canadiancalled the artificial harbor "The key to the
and British Forces on July 9, 1944. We initially sawliberation of France." Remains of the port are
no signs of the bitter battle as we walked aboutlocated offshore, and a museum at the site, the
the thoroughly modern city that has arisen fromMusee du Debarquement, documents the port's
its ashes.Then, a very high cathedral, not far fromhistory.The next morning, it was windy and
our hotel, caught our eye. This slightly staggeringblowing a light rain as we stood on a knoll
structure seemed in danger of toppling over, andoverlooking the stretch of Omaha Beach, where
we joked about the failings of the architect; wethe main contingent of American forces landed
had never seen a cathedral with such a tilt to it.early in the morning on June 6, 1944.We
However, we suddenly fell silent as we realizedenvisioned waves of American soldiers, members
why the cathedral tilts. It must be the result ofof the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, moving off the
vibrations from exploding bombs during thelanding craft. Some drowned in the surf; others
liberation.The next morning, we started ourmade it onto the beach, guns at ready, only to be
exploration of the D-Day landing sites where, onmet by steel obstacles that looked like children's
June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the mostgiant jacks planted in the sand. A barrage of
ambitious amphibious operation ever undertaken,enemy fire came from concrete fortifications
from a 5,000-ship armada assembled off thelining the beach. The Germans built these
Normandy coast.We drove several miles fromfortifications, "pillboxes," as the G.I.'s called them,
Caen to the Pegasus Bridge at Benouville, thenas part of an "Atlantic Wall" along the coast, to
followed the coast in a westerly direction to theguard against just such an attack.Further west on
beaches code-named "Sword," "Juno," and "Gold."Omaha Beach, which is about three miles long, at
These are the sites where the British andPointe du Hoc, men from the U.S.2d Ranger
Canadian forces landed. The American landingBattalion advanced onto the beach toward a
beaches are further to the west. A unit of Free100-foot cliff, which they scaled with the enemy
French soldiers, loyal to General Charles de Gaulle,firing down on them from above. More
went ashore as part of a British brigade at Swordcarnage.Three thousand men died on Omaha
Beach.Even though it was only October when weBeach that day; just as many were wounded and
were there, the small seaport villages along themissing. Only two of the twenty-nine tanks that
northern coast of France were already battenedrolled off the landing craft reached the shore
down for the winter, and almost devoid ofintact.The slaughter at Omaha was so bad that
tourists. The beaches were peaceful andGeneral Omar N. Bradley, watching offshore from
deserted: long stretches of white sand and deepaboard the U.S.S. Augusta, almost called a halt to
blue water as far as the eye could see. It wasthis prong of the invasion. A simple granite pylon,
hard to envision the chaos of the morning of Juneerected by France on top of a concrete bunker,
6, 1944, as 100,000 Allied soldiers scrambledcommemorates the brave souls lost at "Bloody
ashore from landing craft, in the face of GermanOmaha."That afternoon, we continued on to Utah
fire from reinforced concrete bunkers stretchingBeach. Here, the U.S. 4th Infantry Division came
along the beach.We imagined members of theashore, suffering relatively few casualties, and
French Resistance listening clandestinely topushed inland several miles that first day to link up
wireless radio the evening before the landingswith divisions that had come in by air. Among
took place, as the BBC gave codedthose who played a decisive role in the securing
announcements that the invasion was about toof this beachhead was Brigadier General Theodore
begin. The announcements were the signal for theRoosevelt, Jr.On Utah Beach, near the town of
Resistance to dynamite railways and cutSainte Marie du Mont, is the Musee du
telephone lines across the country.TwentyDebarquement d'Utah Beach, unique as a museum
minutes after midnight, the first members of thebecause it is built over what had been a German
liberation force, a handful of British soldiers fromcommand post. Though badly deteriorated, guns,
the 6th Airborne Division, arrived by glider to taketanks, and landing craft on display outside the
over the Pegasus Bridge on the Caen-Ouistrehammuseum are representative of the military
Canal outside Caen. This small bridge washardware of the time.By the evening of June 6,
important because it was one of only two passing1944, although the Allied forces were not as far
points over the River Orne linking Caen to theinland as they had hoped, and the British had not
sea.American parachutists from the 82d and 101sttaken Caen as planned, they had established a
Airborne Divisions then began dropping overbeachhead all across the landing area. And, as
Sainte Mere Eglise and the Cotentin Peninsula. Attime would prove, the Germans were never able
4:40 a.m., Sainte Mere Eglise was captured by ato overcome the advantage that the Allies gained
regiment of the U.S. 82d airborne division, the firstby the element of surprise when they invaded at
French town to be liberated. By 6:30 a.m., theNormandy, rather than at the expected invasion
seaborne assaults had started at Omaha andsite, Pas de Calais, which is a much shorter
Utah, followed over the next hour and a half bydistance across the English Channel.The following
landings at Gold, Sword, and Juno.The originalday, we went to the Normandy American
Pegasus Bridge, now replaced by a larger, moreCemetery at Colleville sur Mer. This 172.5-acre
modern bridge, is in a memorial park in the nearbycemetery is American soil: land donated to the
village of Ranville. It is worthwhile to visit both theUnited States by the French government, free of
original site and the park with the original bridge, incharge or taxation, in perpetuity.The skies were a
order to fully imagine what it was like there thatthreatening grey, and rain drops started to fall as
fateful morning.By late afternoon, we werewe arrived at this final resting place for over
suffering the effects of jet lag. We returned to9,000 American soldiers. We walked past a tour
our hotel for an early dinner, delaying our bedtimeguide who was lecturing about the Normandy
only long enough to check CNN for the latestinvasion to a circle of elderly French veterans,
news from around the world.We spent most ofsporting berets with military ribbons and insignia.At
the next day at La Memorial de Caen, justthe eastern end of the cemetery is a beautiful
northwest of the city. Le Memorial de Caen, whichsemi-circular limestone colonnade, featuring large
opened June 6, 1988, is dedicated to Peace, but itmosaic battle maps inset in the walls at each end;
tells a story of war and violence. It is a "musta 22-foot bronze statute called "The Spirit of
see" for those who travel to Normandy to learnAmerican Youth Rising from the Waves"; "Tablets
about World War II. Drawing 450,000 visitors aof the Missing," listing the names of 1,557 soldiers;
year, the museum offers film presentations,and a chapel and memorial garden.Looking out
photographs, and posters that bring the wartimeover the field of Christian crosses and Jewish
experiences home in a strikingly vivid manner.WeStars of David, our hearts were heavy like the
stopped for the night at Bayeux, which wasweather. We walked up and down the rows,
liberated by British troops on June 8, 1944. Thereading aloud to each other--the names, the dates
swift retreat by the Germans in this area left theof birth, the dates of death, and the states from
medieval town without the war damage that waswhich these brave warriors hailed.A young man,
suffered in other places, and we were impressedwalking along the rows alone, stopped to ask us
with the historical architecture.Bayeux is famousto take his picture. He was an American
for the Bayeux Tapestry, a 230-foot-long,businessman who had decided to take a day tour
two-foot-high embroidery dating from the 11thfrom Paris to visit the Normandy landing beaches.
Century, which tells the story of William theWe exchanged pleasantries.
Conqueror's conquest of England. One theory is