A view of the commemorative window in the cathedral at St. Mere-Eglise, France honoring the Airborn units that landed and freed the city on D-Day.
I wish I were back again this year. It is humbling to meet those still alive who survived, and an honor to tell a small part of their tales. It is fascinating and awe inspiring to explore all the fortifications that are still there, and illuminating to visit all the museums. It is a pleasure to talk with the locals, who are still very grateful to Americans and other allies for, as one lady put it, “our freedom.”
A view from inside a German gun emplacement at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
Looking out over a marker describing the Mulberry artificial piers/harbor used at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
The remains of ships and the supply system sunk just off the coast
What it looked like then
My Battlemug at Utah beach, just after sunrise
One of the old German bunkers converted into a home. You see this a lot as they were massive and destroying them is expensive and could do extensive damage to the surrounding area.
A tribute to Danish forcesThese guns survived bombs and heavy shelling. Of the four, only one was destroyed by a lucky shot that got through as the magazine doors were open. The statue of Major Richard Winters of Band of Brothers fame
The destroyed gun
A British survivor I interviewed (should still be up at Blackfive) who also survived one of the bloodiest battles of the campaign
Another converted bunker
A survivor of Utah Beach, with his daughter atop Pointe du Hoc. As he and I walked together, he looked around and said “I guess we didn’t have it so bad after all.”
At Juno Beach
La Flambe
Sunrise at Omaha Beach, our flag flanked by the new Les Braves and the old memorial
Inside the German command post at Quistreham
Outside the German command post at Ouistreham
Pegasus Bridge
There are lots more, thinking I need to do a new book…
