Return to Normandy, Conclusion

The main monument in the cemetery is a large semi-circular structure. At the center of it is a beautiful tall bronze sculpture called "Youth Rising from the Sea." At its base are the words, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." There are large raised maps depicting the invasion force and the plan on the interior walls of either end of the semi-circular enclosure. The following words are engraved in the monument:

1941-45

IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE

OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS

AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES

THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY

THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

Looking west from the monument and past the reflecting pool, we see row upon row of white crosses. To the north and along the coast is a lookout to the ocean over the right or eastern flank of Omaha Beach. There is a group of French tourists looking at a map there. I am happy to see the French coming to this place of sacrifice.

I photograph three markers: the first, that of a Texas corporal, Philip W. Malina, who died on July 4, 1944; the second, an unknown soldier whose marker has the following words engraved on it

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY

A COMRADE IN ARMS

KNOWN BUT TO GOD

and the third, PFC Clifton W. Burns, who died on June 27, 1944, for whom someone had left a bouquet of flowers. I want to see these dead as individuals, not as row after row of white crosses and Stars of David. I choose these particular men in order to recognize someone from my home state of Texas, someone who died in anonymity, and someone who is still remembered and honored by the living. I do not want to look at these almost 10,000 markers and have them be an anonymous and undifferentiated collective monument. I want to recognize the individual humanity of these fallen men, each someone's son, brother, father, husband, friend.

The symmetry of the markers produces a quiet calm here. The trees stand vigil for the fallen. We walk among the graves; we stop, we gaze, the tears roll gently down our cheeks.

At the far west of the cemetery, we enter the circular chapel. A cross is mounted in front of a tall rectangular window. Etched glass softens the western light. A Star of David adorns the window. Beneath the window is an altar engraved with these gold-leafed words,

I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE

AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH

As we leave this stirringly beautiful memorial to our war dead, Haley stops for a last look at the marker of a fallen soldier. But for the grace of God, it could have been her grandfather. If it had been, there would be no Haley, and we would not be having this most moving and profound experience. We leave the Cotentin Peninsula, the historic beaches of Normandy, that piece of earth where God's mercy was shown to the entire world through the lives of ordinary American, British, French, Australian, Canadian, and other young men in the Allied Forces, who wanted the chance to fight the evil that threatened them all. We will cherish these memories for all our lives.

We are so very thankful that we were able to visit this hallowed ground and reflect upon the great and awful feat that the United States and her Allies accomplished by the grace of God and the heroism of so many and to see where Daddy offered up his youth and strength as he took part in this unique historical event. Never in the history of mankind has there been a military feat such as this one. We honor each member of the 552nd AAA Battalion for what you did for all of us, and we pray that never again will such a task confront mankind.

Return to Normandy Part 6

After a pleasant evening at an inn in the important D-Day town of Carentan, we begin our third and final day in Normandy by visiting Omaha Beach, the last place one would choose to make an assault. The beach at Omaha is as wide or wider than that at Utah and lies at the bottom of a very high bluff. The view from the top of the bluff is expansive and unobstructed. The parking lot for the memorial sits just above what the Allied commanders named Sector Charlie Dog Green. The small private museum located nearby is very interesting, with an excellent collection of World War II equipment, gear, and memorabilia, but we are inescapably drawn to the beach and the blufffs above.

We know what happened here, and we ache with the knowledge of it. Our ears can almost hear the withering fire that shredded the troops exposed when the Higgins boat gates went down. James has the urge to get in the water, fully dressed. His logical mind takes over. We walk the beach and pick up some stones to take home. The shingle (small stones) that were on the beach on D-Day are no longer here. It is a sand beach now. We are thankful the 552nd was at Utah and not Omaha.

As we leave Omaha, we see the tall spire of a church steeple at St. Laurent sur Mer, the village above the beach. Was this the steeple the commanders saw from the water, I ask myself? We proceed toward Pointe du Hoc and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, our final stop before leaving the Norman coast.

The American Cemetery is a beautiful and most fitting memorial to all those lost in the first weeks of the invasion. It was planned with great concern for every detail, including the kinds of material used, where those materials came from, the location of the graves with their uniform rows of white markers, the types of trees and their layout, the building designs, the overall orientation, and--perhaps, most of all--the inscriptions.

As we enter the small Visitor's Center, no larger than a home living room, we immediately sense the solemnity of our surroundings. We are on hallowed ground. People are talking quietly and respectfully. A letter from President Eisenhower hangs in a gold frame on the wall next to a painting of a pair of hands holding a Medal of Honor. His letter reads as follows:

The White House

Washington

July 7, 1956

To Those Who Participate in

The Dedication of St. Laurent

Twelve years ago on D-Day in Normandy, the

landings on the coast of France were the sym-

bol and the noble expression of Allied unity and

Allied determination in a great crusade. I

know it is a small consolation to the bereaved to

remember that the gallant men who are remem-

bered today gave their lives at one of the critical

moments in history. Yet the American soldiers

who rest forever near the beach-head they won,

and in the land they helped to free, will never be

forgotten.

Their memory will always help strengthen the

bonds of friendship between our countries, his-

toric allies for the cause of freedom.

/s/ Dwight D. Eisenhower