June 6, 1944 - The most important day of the 20th Century

I promised mom that I would post some of the photos of the trip Annie and I took to Normandy a couple of months ago. Part of two days was not enough time to do all I wanted to do and see all that I wanted to see. We were not able to visit Le Harve, where Grandpa Fife was stationed as an ambulance driver during the Great War - now known as WWI. I've been lucky enough to travel to a few sites around the world (very few compared to Chad). I can honestly tell you that no other place in the world comes close to the reverence you feel as you walk on what to me and many others is sacred ground. Standing on the Arizona Memorial is close, so is Gettysburg, but so many heroic acts took place on D-Day that for me - it stands alone. We shall not see the like of these brave men again.

The first thing we did after checking into our Hotel in Caen was to drive west to Colleville in hope that we could visit the American Cemetery, but alas, it was closed for the day. I took this picture of the church in Vierville. It was up this draw toward the church that the men landing on Omaha needed to travel to move inland. Hundreds died trying. The steeple of the church didn't last long. In fact most churches on the Cotentin peninsula lost their steeples during the invasion - whether or not German snipers or spotters were hiding in them.

This is a bunker on the bluffs just east of the Cemetery at Coleville. With re-enforced cement several feet thick, our bombers and battle ships did little damage.

This is the village of Arromanches at Gold Beach. We stopped for dinner that first night. In the background lie Juno and Sword beaches and just beyond the horizon is Le Harve.

The famous church at Ste-Mere-Eglise. This village is inland from Utah beach and is where poor old Red Buttons landed in "The Longest Day". The real life trooper was Pvt. John Steele. He was shot in the foot, played dead for most of the night, suffered severe hearing loss from the bells, and was captured - but escaped a few days later. Today a mannequin likeness of Private Steele hangs from a parachute on the steeple.

Annie on a bunker at Utah beach. The most westerly of the landing beaches. Utah beach was not as heavily defended as Omaha and casualties were slight in comparison.

Looking west from the bluff above Omaha Beach at Pointe-du-Hoc during low tide (for how it looks at high tide see the Ronald Reagan video. As the tide came in the beach was reduced to almost nothing). The accounts of bravery on Omaha that day are too numerous to mention. The only "safety" was to move closer to the enemy under the cliffs. If you were in the first wave, your chances of survival were about 50/50. Young men, most of them only 18 or 19, would get to the cliffs and find relative safety but still turn around and venture back into the water to pull the wounded and others to safety, time after time, often until they themselves were killed.

Aerial bombardments and even direct hits from the ships' 14 inch guns did little damage to most bunkers. Rangers with flame throwers, TNT and grenades did the real damage and cleared the way that day.

Near Vierville looking west over the cliffs of Omaha

The monument at Pointe-du-Hoc.

The monument at the American Cemetery. I've included a few of the words (in CAPS) from the various memorials, etchings and plaques on the grounds.

"TO THESE WE OWN THE HIGH RESOLVE THAT THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY DIED SHALL LIVE"

"THINK NOT UPON THEIR PASSING. REMEMBER THE GLORY OF THEIR SPIRIT"

"THROUGH THE GATES OF DEATH MAY THEY PASS TO THEIR JOYFUL RESURRECTION"

Names of Medal of Honor recipients are etched in gold.

A Comrade in Arms - Known but to God

"I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH"

The only reason I added this last photo is to tell you of the eminent respect I have for the young men who are buried here and for those that fought along side them. Annie asked if I wanted a picture taken with the Cemetery in the background. As tears welled up in my eyes (then and now), I told her that I really didn't feel worthy to be in the same picture and instead had her take the shot with the beach, the ravine leading to Vierville and the cliffs in the background.