I've been really thinking about what to write about for my last two treasures and haven't come across much more that I have enjoyed more than our bike adventure from Bayeux to Omaha Beach to see the infamous American Cemetery. There is a ton of history at this cemetery as it's were a large portion of WWII culminated. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 and the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. When I was looking at 1,557 names on the Walls of the Missing in the semicircular garden, it was a very moving experience to be in the place where many of these valiant soldiers lost their lives as proud Americans to protect their loved ones back home. I think it’s just an honorary privilege for France to grant the United States of America all of the soil in which the cemetery lays on in honor of the American soldiers in their assistance of freeing France from German occupation. The cemetery site, at the north end of its ½ mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Over 10,000 American families are emotionally tied to this site and it’s moving to see all of the red, white, and blue flowers, ribbons, photo frames, etc. embellishing a majority of the cemetery stones. Considering how quickly flowers die when placed outside in the rain, many of the tombs were still decorated. This really conveys how often distraught families, friends, and lovers come to the cemetery to reflect on the life of their lost loved ones. The rain pouring down adding a layer of water to each tombstone seemed like god was shining down over and protecting the souls of each and every lost soldier. It was a very moving experience being here as many different languages were spoken, showing how D-Day was not merely a significant day in American history, but a day part of the history of nearly every country involved in the war. I noted this in my journal last Sunday when reflecting on the trip, but I really wish I had the time to go visit Sword Beach, where my father’s uncle, General Maskell was buried. He was a true hero apart of the valiant elite British commando and was dropped down with a few other soldiers the night before the big D-Day attack in Normandy. Unfortunately, him and many others did not survive this great feat and sacrificed their lives for both the welfare of Great Britain and America, as well as France, overall.
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied Invasion of German-occupied France in the Normany landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II. The beach is located on the coast of Normandy, France, facing the English Channel, and is five miles long, from east of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to west of Vierville-sur-Mer on the right bank of the Douve River estuary. Landings here were necessary in order to link up the British landings to the east at Gold Beach with the American landing to the west at Utah beach, thus providing a continuous occupation on the Normandy coast of the Bay of the Seine. Taking Omaha was to be the responsibility of American army troops, with sea transport provided by the U.S. Navy and elements of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. My great uncle in Sword Beach was apart of the Royal Navy. It’s so interesting to learn about an event so crucial to the histories of both my parent’s heritages and see two very different countries working together as a team for a common goal of defeating the German forces in an unexpected attack. For America, the primary goal at Omaha was to secure a five mile depth length on the beach linking with the British landings at the eastern Gold Beach and reaching the western area of Isigny to link up with VII Corps landing at Utah Beach. The 352nd German Infantry Division opposed the landings, but lacked regimental training or combat experience.
On D-Day, the untested 29th US infantry division and nine companies of US Army rangers redirected from Pointe du Hoc were to assault the western half of the beach and the 1st infantry division, whom were very experienced with battle, was given the eastern half. The initial assault waves, consisting of tanks, infantry, and combat engineer forces, were painstakingly planned to reduce the coastal defences and allow the larger ships of the follow-up waves to land.
Of the 12,020 men of the German division, only 6,800 were experienced combat troops, detailed to defend a 53 km front. The Germans were largely deployed in strongpoints along the coast—the German strategy was based on defeating any seaborne assault at the water line. Nevertheless, Allied calculations indicated that Omaha's defenses were three times as strong as those they had encountered during the Battle of Kwajelein in the Pacific and it had four times as many soldiers.
Very little went as planned during the landing at Omaha Beach. Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of the landing craft boats to miss their targets throughout the day. The defenses were unexpectedly strong, and inflicted heavy casualties on landing US troops. Under heavy fire, the engineers struggled to clear the beach obstacles; later landings congested around the few channels that were cleared. Weakened by the casualties taken just in landing, the surviving assault troops could not clear the heavily defended exits off the beach. This caused further problems and consequent delays for later landings. Small penetrations were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most heavily defended points. By the end of the day, two small isolated footholds had been won, which were subsequently exploited against weaker defenses further inland, thus achieving the original D-Day objectives over the following days.
In the end, the Germans were defeated, with many casualties on from all the countries involved.
I was really moved by being in the Cemetery and observing the chilly coast where this horrid, but valiant event took place. After touring the visitor's center and learning so much about the attack, it was surreal to be present on those very beaches and having the wind blow through my hair just trying to imagine what it was like to be there.
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