Omaha Beach

Visiting Omaha Beach was an overwhelming experience. I had a lot to think about on the trip there and what it meant to me and my family. My great grandfather landed here on D-Day and always wanted to go back. Sadly, he passed away before he was able to. I am the first member of my family to be able to make the trip to see where he fought. It is hard to imagine that at one time men were fighting to climb this hill. It was raining the day I was there which seemed fitting in a way. It was a moving moment because I had come to spread some of his ashes on the beach where so many men fought and died. When I did it, I was completely alone on the beach and no one was at the memorials on the hill side. It was just the two of us. I am proud that I was able to bring him back to a place that helped define his generation and where he helped change the world. There are over 9,000 men buried here and a list of many more who perished in the Channel during the war. This is only about 40% of the men who died on Normandy during that horrible war. When it was over 60% of the families brought their son and husbands home. There is no order to the cemetery but they are arranged as the family made the decision for them to stay.

It was a real reminder that freedom is not free. These men gave their lives for people in a country that they most likely had never visited but for a belief that every man would be free. 

Walking around it was almost to much to take in. It is hard to believe that all this happened at this now calm area. I cannot look at this beach or hill and say I could have done it. Hopefully, I will never be in a situation where I have to test myself like these men did. After seeing this I can full understand why they are called the greatest generation.

The sign leading you in to the cemetery. This land is actually controlled and administered by the United States government. After the World War II the French government gave the US the land to place a cemetery on. It opened in 1956 as it stands today. It is a closed cemetery meaning that no new person can be buried here without an act of Congress approving it. 

Just beyond that hill is where I spread the ashes. They were taken in to the sea at high tide.

This was my first good view of the beach. I can't imagine trying to climb this hill with people trying to kill me. It as a hard enough climb with just a book bag over the wet grass and mud.

This is a view of the cemetery. No matter which way you look from any point the graves are perfectly alined. Today we would us a computer and modern technology to mark each one out. When the cemetery was built that did it with just a piece of string. Our guide said the when it was laid out the graves in one line could only be off .392 inches from start to finish. When it was laid out the graves are not facing the traditional direction of east but they face west. They face west because they are looking towards home. Today, if there is a ceremony with veterans they face west and the guest east. They are always looking towards home.

This the grave of Quentin Roosevelt. He is the youngest son of Teddy Roosevelt, president of the United States. He is the only person buried here that was not killed during World War II. He is buried next to his brother Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. They were close in life and asked if they could be together in death. It helps to get the request through when you are the cousin of the current president.

The grave of General  Theodore Roosevelt, Jr, oldest son of Teddy Roosevelt. He requested 3 times to be apart of the D-Day landings were they were turned down. After the second attempt he threaten to call FDR and ask for permission if his next request was not approved and it was to stop the president getting involved. He was not killed on D-Day but died of a heart attack 6 days later in France.

A memorial to the men who were never found. Many of these men are resting in the English Channel and their location is only known to God.