I told our friends, Kathy and Grant, that I wouldn't go to France with them unless they agreed to visit the Normandy D-Day beaches, cemeteries and tour. To which they replied, "We're not going unless we do!"
Warning, soapbox ahead. I feel so strongly about the need for every American to experience the accomplishments of what these Americans, British and Canadian soldiers did, that I believe the US government should sponsor paid tours. Maybe a lottery? Send a few hundred every year? How much would it cost? Certainly less than one MOAB. Maybe some of those people would learn how utterly foolish war is. Yes, I believe the Nazi atrocities and their eugenic beliefs had to be stopped, but that doesn't argue for war. War comes when leaders believe it will solve problems. Guess whose sons die?
The Nazi leadership knew that if the Allied Forces established a beachhead in Normandy, they would eventually
lose the war. Therefore, they threw every kitchen sink in France they could locate. Thousands of German soldiers, many as young as thirteen and fourteen, gave their lives in a vain attempt to stop the Allies.
On a visit to the Normandy beaches, one can view the Nazi battlefield position where the average life expectancy of an Allied soldier was seventeen seconds. Words in history books do not suffice. Standing inside a reinforced concrete Nazi bunker overlooking a shooting-duck-gallery of Allied soldiers stepping out of an open-faced-landing boat gives one a perspective not available with words. Stand on the cliff and look down from the Nazi position at Point au Hoc to see what the Rangers climbed.
Last year Suzanne and I toured the Normandy D-Day Museum. Kathy and Grant took the same tour with the exception that they had essentially a private tour since they were the only passengers--one of the benefits of "low season". Suzanne wanted to see the 11th century
Bayeux Tapestry and my camera was barking for a walk so off we went. Bayeux was the first city on the European continent that was liberated from the Nazis on June 7, 1944. The Bayeux Tapestry was created in 1070, just four years after the battle of Hastings. The tapestry isn't really a tapestry, it is an embroidered panel that is 230 feet long! It tells the story of William the Conqueror's invasion of England. After over 1,000 years William's presence is still felt in England and the United States! Ever hear the English common law terms, breaking/entering and assault/battery? One is from French the other is English, so that both the English people and their French masters could understand the laws.
Alex, Normandy, France May 1-3, 2017
