Fascinating cruise tour of D-Day monuments in Normandy
From the archive. Published November 6, 2015. Details may have changed since.
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01 The cemetery at Normandy contains the graves of 9,387 of our brave soldiers. © Robin Lampert -
02 Flags flutter above a memorial tidal pool. © Photo by Robin Lampert -
03 Visitors at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. It was a moving experience. © Photo by Robin Lampert -
04 An Allied tank, inscribed 1Charlie. © Robin Lampert -
05 Another tank, possibly a captured tank from the German army. © Robin Lampert -
06 Seventy years after D-Day, the remains of the battles endure along the shoreline. © Photo by Robin Lampert -
07 A cliffside wall holds back the sea at Normandy. © Photo by Robin Lampert -
08 The enclosing hillsides added to the air of solemnity. © Robin Lampert
There are lots of ways to visit Normandy and the hallowed ground of those who give their lives to protect our freedoms. Instead of taking a river cruise, my husband and I opted for a Royal Princess cruise in July 2015 that included a day tour of Normandy, France.
It was a highlight of our trip! We spent the day in Colleville-sur-Mer visiting the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, which I'm told was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing, on the east side of the memorial, are inscribed 1,557 names.
Other highlights there included the Normandy Visitors Center, located in a wooded area of the cemetery about 100 yards east of the Garden of the Missing.
Here are a few of my photos from our day there. It was, indeed, The Greatest Generation, and let us never forget their sacrifice!
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