The Beaches of Normandy
After dreaming about visiting the Beaches of Normandy for many years, I finally had the honor and the privilege to see them in person with my own eyes. The whole experience was every bit as moving as I hoped it would be . . .
Video as we drove through one of the tiny little villages near Omaha Beach: (11 seconds)
Video as we got closer: (19 seconds)
Video as we pulled into the parking lot: (8 seconds)
The artist who made the Omaha Beach Memorial explained the elements of his creation below: (click photo to enlarge)
On the trail, there was another marker, this time for Bernard Dargols. Since the wording is a little small, I'll transcribe it for you.
"Born in Paris, Bernard Dargols traveled to the US in 1938 to study. In June 1940, at the age of 20, he decided to join the US Army. In 1943, he became a US citizen and started his GI training. In June 1944, he joined the MIS (Military Intelligence Service) and on June 5th 1944, he sailed from Cardiff (Wales) and landed at Easy Red Sector on Omaha Beach in Saint Laurent with the 2nd Infantry Division.
"On June 8th, he drove his Jeep up the "Plateau du Ruquet", made his way toward Trevieres, and penetrated German lines, carrying out patrols in the No Man's Land. He took part in the liberation of several villages, then advanced inland toward St Georges d'Elle and Cerisy la Foret, and ventured as far as Brest and Paris, then Belgium and Germany.
"In 1945, he carried out various missions, some including counter-espionage. In 1946, back in the USA, he was discharged, got married, and then returned to France to continue his career. He devotes himself to passing on the values of democracy, freedom, brotherhood and Franco-American friendship."
Back down the hill and close to where we parked our car, there are some brand new memorials that were just placed this year.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iWNamTj2kucb7TrQ8
On the other side of these newly placed monuments and memorials, there was a path. It looked like it would lead us to the American Cemetery, so off we went.
We walked for about 10-15 minutes, on a well-traveled path through fields and brush, before realizing that we would not be able to access the cemetery through this wilderness route. I could see an American flag high above us on the cliff, and I was pretty sure we wouldn't be scaling that cliff in order to get up there, ha ha. So we turned around and walked back to the car.
Before we drove to the cemetery, Scott wanted to see more of what was on the western end of Omaha Beach, so we drove all the way over there first. It wasn't far by car, maybe 5-6 minutes was all.
There was a single pier in the middle of the beach . . .
There wasn't a whole lot to see at the western end of Omaha Beach, but this bunker was pretty cool just sitting up on a hill.
Per Wikipedia: During the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the artificial landing ports established at Arromanches, France were known as Mulberry harbors. These temporary portable harbors facilitated the rapid offloading of cargo onto beaches. The two Mulberry harbors, code-named Mulberry A (off Omaha Beach) and Mulberry B (off Gold Beach), allowed the Allies to receive reinforcements and supplies until major French ports could be captured and repaired. These innovative systems comprised floating breakwaters, pontoons, piers, and roadways. They played a crucial role in the success of the invasion.
We walked slowly through the adjacent courtyard, with thousands of names inscribed on the memorial walls for those whose remains were never recovered. I felt it was important to look at each name, even though I was skimming . . .
I tried to look for any surnames that might be related to our family, and a few names jumped out. The first one was John W. Cheshire, a 2nd Lieutenant in a bomb squad, particularly because he came from Florida. We have Cheshires in our family tree - they came from England and later immigrated to the U.S. They lived in South Carolina and Georgia in the 1800's and married into the Norman family, who were from Florida. It was interesting as I looked on my Ancestry Tree to see how they went from the spelling of Cheshire in England, and then later they changed it to Chesher when they lived in the southern U.S.
Also of note was a young soldier from Idaho, listed directly underneath John Cheshire's name.
Samuel L Murray : Private First Class from California, World War II Casualty (honorstates.org)
Lastly, the name Joseph F. Scheuermann Jr. jumped out at me, because the last name is so unique. I have a good friend in Ukiah, CA named Terry Scheuermann. I used to babysit for her kids when I was a teenager and we became really close during those years. I haven't seen her for a long, long time, but I plan to reach out to her to see if this servicemember might have been related to her husband, who I believe also had the name Joseph. What an amazing needle in the haystack that will be if they turn out to be related!!
The white memorial crosses seemed to go on and on and on, further than any eyes could see.
In the chapel, there was a sign that says: "The flame burning before you was collected May 8, 2024 in Paris, from the tomb of the unknown soldier located under the Arc de Triomphe. This flame was deposited here on May 13, 2024. This is the flame of the French Nation, escorted from Paris by 34 young French people who, on behalf of all French citizens, bring their gratitude and deep appreciation to the American people for their immeasurable commitment during Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.
"This flame will remain lit until June 6, 2024. Right here, 80 years ago, thousands of soldiers defied adversity, braving the waves and enemy fire to break through the Atlantic Wall, which was thought to be impassable. This flame burns today in their honour, reminding us of their courage and determination to defend the values that unite us today. It reminds us that peace is precious, and that the Freedom in which we live must be protected at all costs."
(*Note: In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a smaller congregation is referred to as a Branch and will have a Branch President assigned to lead them. A larger congregation is referred to as a Ward, with a Bishop assigned to lead them.)
Janet and Brent, and the two of us . . .
We made a super quick stop to see an unexpected memorial area next to the road on our way to a scheduled beach activity. I'm glad we took a couple of minutes to see what was there, including this sweet tribute to the elderly veterans of World War II.
The activity that we had originally signed up for was to kayak out to the Mulberry harbors off Gold Beach. Sadly (and I do mean devastatingly sad), the weather was not conducive for kayaking at all. With off and on rain along with 20-30 mph winds, we had to choose their back-up activity, which was called "Sand-yachting" or "Land-sailing".
Scott and me in our matching neoprene wetsuits . . . (*Note: you can see the artificial harbors in the ocean behind us in the photos and videos)
Here is a link to a video that closely resembles our experience: (3 min, 18 seconds)
Here's one more video that has some great instruction for land sailing, starting around 3 minutes in: (5 min, 20 seconds)
Video #1 of us land sailing: (27 seconds)
Video #2 of us land sailing: (32 seconds)
Video #3 shows Valentin riding on the "train" of carts heading back to their shop from the beach:
(11 seconds)
Video as we passed through a small town, called St. Marie du Mont, near Utah Beach: (38 seconds)
Just imagine that town with soldiers marching through or driving their Jeeps through in 1944. Wow.
The WWII Museum at Utah Beach . . .
This was the only D-Day Museum that we actually got to visit. Because we spent so much time on the beach, we ran out of time to spend at the Omaha Beach Museum, which is more extensive I think, and then we arrived just a hair too late at the D-Day Experience Museum and they wouldn't let us in. We just needed more time in Normandy and then we could have seen and experienced a lot more.
We watched a film in the little theater within the museum, which was really moving. They showed us how the engineer battalions pushed their way onto Utah Beach, with much less casualties than Omaha Beach, and how they established roads and supply chains to head inland so quickly. They were able to not only get weapons, food, and medical supplies inland, but they were also able to transport injured soldiers back out to the ships. It was immensely impressive to see how they accomplished their very singular goals and how it allowed everyone else on the other beaches to have more success with their own missions. Everyone had a job, and no job was insignificant.
In this museum, I really enjoyed getting "up close and personal" with D-Day and the people that contributed to its success. I read a lot of information and I really connected with the memorabilia that was on display throughout.
This next photo talks about something we probably haven't thought about or even knew about. The French were really oppressed because of the Nazis that took over their country. They were hungry, poor, and inflation was skyrocketing, making everything even more difficult. When the U.S. arrived on the scene and helped to free their towns and villages, they acknowledged it as a massive rescue and they are still so, so grateful all these years later. (click to read more in the photo below)
Below: an official resistance card that was sent to Michel LeLarge for his efforts during the war. The card was sent to not only recognize his contributions, but to say thank you.
The French Resistance rigged homemade radios so they could listen to the BBC News, which often sent coded messages to them in their broadcasts. You can read more in the photo below - click to enlarge.
This flag accompanied Rear Admiral Don Moon throughout his missions across Europe during WWII.
He was born in Indiana in 1894 and joined the Navy, graduating 4th in his class from the Naval Academy. His expertise was in gunnery. He was in charge of the whole mission to conquer Utah Beach on D-Day and in the weeks to follow. Sadly, he succombed to what is known as battle fatigue, and he shot himself and died on August 5, 1944 after the major operation was over in Normandy. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery, leaving behind a wife and four children. 
For 6 months, James E. Arnold "kept a diary in which he recounted his work as a Naval officer in charge of Utah Beach, then in the port of Le Havre, as well as his reconnaissance missions in Cherbourg, Rennes, Nantes, and Saint Malo. He also recounts his interviews with Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Winston Churchill, and General de Gaulle. Written in a German accounting book found in a bunker at Utah Beach, this account is illustrated with photographs, newspaper clippings and drawings."
This was a coffee pot found in the wreckage of the USS Rich . . .
Explanation in the photo below: "In June 1944, Louise Ross became a volunteer radio operator in Iowa. She wrote to her fiance, Stewart Kaufmann, also a radio operator, aboard the destroyer USS Rich. In her letter . . . . (unreadable) . . . life as a young couple. Eight weeks later, Stewart Kaufmann disappeared in the explosion of the USS Rich, which was hit by three submarine mines, off Utah Beach on June 8, 1944. The letter was found in the wreckage of the ship, which was raised in the 1950s. Stewart Kaufmann's name is inscribed on the Wall of the Missing at the Omaha Beach American War Cemetery."
See if you can piece together what Louise wrote to Stewart in the letter below . . .
One of the troop transports that came ashore on D-Day . . .
"Emergency high-protein chocolate bars. Very bitter in taste, these "D-rations" were so dense that it took significant effort to eat them. Universally disliked, soldiers often discarded them."
We watched a video clip of a WWII veteran explaining how vital these little "crickets" were in the cloak of darkness and in unfamiliar territory.
Here's a link to a really interesting article about the "clickers":
An explanation of 45 memorial plaques that Colonel Eugene M. Caffey designed to honor the men that he lost in his brigade, the 1st Special Engineer Brigade. (click photo below to read about his motivation to do this)
Views looking out at Utah Beach from behind the museum . . .
A human moment. LOL
(3 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/RYFGwmS8Ka8LdDEU7
On our way to a special place, Scott was kind enough to pull over so I could say "Bonjour" to these beautiful horses. I think they were a little surprised when I walked up to their gate, and if I had had an apple with me, I bet they would have been more willing to "chat".
I decided to look into the story to see where the church was in relation to the other places we would be visiting in Normandy. I was elated to see that it was close by and that we would be able to squeeze it in, and then I could share some photos and videos with Steve and Julia afterwards.
Video coming into Sainte Mere Eglise, France: (23 seconds)
The paratrooper: John Steele
The date: 5-6 June 1944
The location: Sainte Mere Eglise, France
Essentially, there were a few things that went wrong during the massive Operation Overlord, as was to be expected. One of those things was that the planes set to drop some of the paratroopers were off course, and they ended up dropping them up to 10 km away from the intended drop zones. Another issue that no one could have predicted is that there was a fire in Sainte Mere Eglise that night, with several French locals and German soldiers working hard to put the fire out. As the paratroopers began to descend - way off course - they were also unintentionally illuminated in the night sky by the flames of that darn fire in the center of town. Now everyone could see them coming in to land . . .
There are more details than what I have time to type up, but you can read this very direct blog to get the full story. I say "direct" because the author of the blog post mentions John Steele's military nickname right off the bat . . . you'll see. The author also likes a lot of run-on sentences, ha ha. But there are some great details to understand. John Steele's story is included in the movie "The Longest Day", filmed in 1962 with Red Buttons playing the part of John Steele.
Video of the steeple and the "dummy" paratrooper: (7 seconds)
There is even a John Steele Restaurant just up the street from the church, and he came back to visit the town numerous times before he passed away in 1969.
Video entering the church: (6 seconds)
Inside the church, there are a couple of interesting stained-glass windows. (click photos to enlarge)
Some might say the scenes on the stained glass are sacrilegious, while others may say that religion still exists in the midst of a war. You can be your own judge.
Video with a 360-degree view of the church square: (20 seconds)
We ordered the Burrata Salad, which consisted of: tomatoes, pine nuts, a hint of pesto, olive oil, and a nice big dollop of burrata, which is a creamier version of fresh mozzarella. I really love burrata. And this salad was amazing! Everything was so fresh and so flavorful. I want to try to recreate it at home soon.
We drove to the nearest church building, which was about 30 minutes east of the farm where we were staying. It was in the city of Caen, France. Wanna know something crazy? Caen is pronounced like "kong" but without the "g" at the end. Try to add in a lot of spit from the back of your throat as you say it, too. LOL
Video of the Sacrament hymn: (32 seconds)
Video of the "rest" hymn - or middle of the meeting - hymn: (54 seconds)
Video of the closing hymn: (36 seconds)
Video of the primary children singing a couple of songs on Father's Day: (2 minutes, 36 seconds)
Video of them singing, "Love One Another": (43 seconds)
We followed what was on Google maps and it eventually led us away from the beach, where we had to scurry like mountain goats up onto a path that led into the brush.
Picture a much different scene 80 years ago, one that was a lot more scary in the silence of the trees on this path . . . today, there are birds chirping and a very relaxing silence. But during war time, your senses would have been heightened and the hair might have raised up on the back of your neck as you crept slowly and quietly down this lane.
Video of this very scene: (20 seconds)
We rode through a tiny little village . . .
Video on the forested path as we passed old homes nearby. The town was on our left and Omaha Beach was on our right, over the ridge. (17 seconds)
Video of one of the times Bundy stumbled, bless his little distracted heart: (7 seconds)
Video as we turned onto the same area of the beach where the kids were paddle-boarding earlier:
(7 seconds)
Scott and his horse on one final snack break . . .
It was a lovely and relaxing ride, except for the times when Bundy would inadvertently trip.
I would highly recommend a variety of ways to experience the Beaches of Normandy. It's one thing to see it with your eyeballs, and to read the signs and try to absorb all of the information. But it's a whole different experience if you can get in the water, or do an activity on the beach, or ride a horse along the beach. Using more of your senses will help you to connect to where you are and will be extremely memorable in the years to come.
This was an experience I will NEVER forget. It was a dream come true. It was a story that came to life for me. It was a pilgrimage of epic proportions. And it was a way to honor those who fought and gave their lives here in order to secure freedom and prosperity for all the rest of us, who many times take it all for granted.
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