Les Plages de Normandie

A casemate

When we arrived at the Longues-sur-Mer battery overlooking Omaha and Gold Beaches, the weather was appropriately bleak. Again, we were almost the only people around, which was a little eerie.

The bunkers were in the middle of empty grass fields surrounded by farms. We saw four old German casemates, which are fortified concrete structures that hold guns. We could actually walk inside them, behind the guns and down a dark hallway to the exit in the back. Smaller rooms inside were fenced off. We also saw some old lookout spots and a larger two-story bunker. They are all pretty much in their original form, except for the rust on the guns and the moss on the bunkers. My dad pointed out that it was really impressive how there was almost no graffiti. We didn't go down to the actual beach, but we could see it from the edge of the cliffs.

The back of one of the guns

Looking out from inside the bunker

Three casemates

The beach below

Spirit of American Youth statue

Next, we headed to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, which was nearby. The site is huge, immaculate, and very secure. Once more, it was us and maybe three other people, but I counted at least seven security guards. There is a memorial center, which is like a museum about American soldiers in World War II, especially on D-Day. The center is really well-done and interesting. All of the displays and video installations look very clean and modern.

After going through the center, we walked around the actual cemetery part. It is huge; over nine thousand American soldiers are buried there. At the front, near the memorial center, is a large semi-circle platform with the Spirit of American Youth statue and maps showing D-Day operations. Looking out from the platform is a reflecting pool. You can also see a circular chapel that is in the middle of the cemetery.

The grave markers are perfect rows of white crosses and stars of David. Everything, from the landscaping to the graves to the statues, is kept immaculate. We even saw a crew of at least ten people going through and scrubbing each individual marker by hand with soap and water.

Next, we went to the German Military Cemetery in La Cambe. My host-father, who teaches history and leads field trips to Normandy, had recommended that we visit both to see the contrast, and it really is striking. It is very clear which cemetery is for victorious side. Even though there are over twice as many soldiers buried there, the German cemetery is much smaller, and there are two soldiers to a grave marker. In contrast to the gleaming white crosses at the American cemetery, all of the markers are black and there are only scattered groups of five crosses. The visitor center was small and empty, with no guards, and the exhibits looked old and dated. Most of the exhibit was about how the cemetery was built entirely by volunteers, and today students volunteer to do upkeep work during school vacations.

We were considering going to a huge D-Day Museum in nearby Caen, but we didn't end up having time. I thought the American Memorial Center was pretty comprehensive though. Seeing the D-Day beaches and cemeteries was somber but very interesting, so I'm really glad we got the chance.

À bientôt!