Day Three: Memorial Day

Monday morning began bright and early. Beside the fact that we were in France, this wasn't an ordinary Monday. This particular Monday was Memorial Day. We were completely unaware, but pleasantly surprised, that we had scheduled to be touring Normandy on Memorial Day of all days. Around nine thirty, we were picked up from our hotel in a nine person van by our tour guide. The tour guide had a killer French accent that I thoroughly enjoyed during our three hour tour.

 The tour consisted of three stops along the coast of Normandy. The first stop gave us our first glimpse of the water. It was beautiful. It is hard to believe that something so awful could happen in such a beautiful place. We were able to wander around the area and take pictures after the tour guide gave his short explanation of this particular stop. The most noticeable landmarks would be the gigantic craters in the ground due to bombs. These craters were as far as the eye could see and incredibly deep. The German concrete bunkers were also still in tact. We were able to walk down into the bunkers and take a look around.

The second stop on our tour was Omaha Beach. This is the beach portrayed in movies such as Saving Private Ryan. It was hard to imagine the horror and tragedy that took place on this beach. As our tour guide described the blood red waves and fallen American soldiers every three feet along this four mile stretch of beach, you couldn't help but feel so humbled and grateful for the men that fought for our country and for France that horrific day in 1944.

The final destination of the tour was probably my most favorite, the United States cemetery. The moment you step foot on the grounds you feel a sense of sacredness. There were tons of people walking around, but the air was still and silent. I stood in awe as I saw nearly 10,000 little white crosses perfectly aligned on the lawn. I can't imagine a better more special place to spend my Memorial Day. It was such a great learning experience. I'm so thankful for the United States and the men and women that fight every day for my freedoms. Normandy made me so proud to be an American.