End of the Road: Belgium, Luxembourg and Final days in Europe

Well, its hard to, believe that six weeks have flown by. It seems like only a week ago I was flying out of Houston. Now Im back home in the U.S. and enjoying good ol' American food. Its good to be back.
But all that aside, heres what we have been up to.

Germany
Although we spent the least amount of time there, Germany has been a great place to visit. We were staying in the Saarland (Western part of Germany; close the border of France) and if you didn't know any better you might think that you had stepped into the Texas Hill Country (minus the fact that its been raining almost everyday and the temperature on average 50's-60's, high 70's). Otzenhausen, the town in which were staying, is incredibly small and is surrounded by these green hills and, judging from some of the locals, makes an ideal place for old people to retire to.

The close proximity to France here gives the academy there a unique purpose. After WWII, the mutual hatred between the French and Germans hindered relations between the two countries. The new generation of French and German students after the war didn't understand the continual bitterness and therefore tried to find ways of interacting with one another across borders. Thus the academy was created for Germans and French alike to come together at the table and interact with one another. Institutions such as this have no doubt been a had huge significance in easing Post-War hatred felt by each country.

Belgium: Bastogne and the Ardennes 
Our first field trip from Germany was to Belgium and the city of Bastogne.

The Ardennes Offensive was Hitler's last gamble against the Western Allies. Under complete secrecy Hitler committed his last reserves to driving the Allies back and capturing the port of Antwerp. The Germans caught the Allies completely by surprise, sending them back into France from the German border. The timing of the offensive was right upon the onset of winter, when the weather grounded the Allied Air Forces.

Bastogne was significant in that it was one of the few places that the American forces (most notably the 101st Airborne) were able to hold up a successful defense. Conditions were not favorable for the American defenders. They did not have proper winter gear, had little food and almost ammunition. The German offensive had encircled the city as well, thus preventing any flow of American reinforcements and supplies in and wounded out. Yet in spite of this the Americans dug into the Ardennes. For 40 days, the US lost 500 men a day in holding the city. But even with these casualties the Americans endured, and held off the German from capturing Bastogne.

There are two things that I really enjoyed about this field trip. First, we actually got to see the foxholes that the American defenders (famously Easy Company from Band of Brothers) used. Walking through the Ardennes was like stepping into history almost as unique as Omaha Beach was. It was walking upon the same ground that American soldiers, many the same age as myself, fought and died for liberty almost 70 years ago.

Secondly, our tour guide was a local of Bastogne and was 9 years old during the Battle of the Bulge. He had seen the German occupation in 1940, the Americans liberation in 1944, and now saw what looked like the Germans return. Civilians were no exception to the fighting around Bastogne. While trying to melt snow for water, his father was killed by shrapnel from an exploding artillery shell.

More significant to me is the insight he provided about Belgian views of the Germans. When I asked him what the reaction of the Belgians were once the German offensive reached Bastogne he said it was unanimous disappointment. When I asked him to elaborate he replied with this:

"We HATED the Germans. From childhood we were brought up even in schools to hate the Germans because at the time, they were the occupiers."

I just thought it was a very interesting look at the legacy of the war for some people.

Luxembourg
Our visit to Luxembourg was very similar to Bastogne. The museum there we visited was administered by locals from the area. Our tour guide's parents had both been children during the Nazi occupation which added a lot to the tour. What was really cool was that a lot of the exhibits in the museum were donated by the locals. Anything from helmets to machine guns and mortars were found around the area (and there are still probably more that have not been found yet.) Our tour guide talked about when he was in elementary school he and his friend found these wooden river buoys one day and took them to school to trade with their friends. Come to find out, they were actually river mines. Fortunately the explosives had corroded and fallen out before he found them.

After the museum and spending some time in Luxembourg City, we went to the American cemetery outside of the city. This cemetery is probably most famous for it being the resting place of General Patton.

Ft. Hackenburg and Rhine River Cruise
Our last field trip was the French border to the Maginot Line. Built between the two World Wars, this extensive defense line was built by the French to prevent any attack by the Germans from the East. The Maginot line itself wasn't really designed to win a war, rather just hold off any attack long enough for the French Army to mobilize and get to the border.

Loading breech for a cannon inside 

Because the tunnels are so extensive we spent two hours inside, seeing the ammunition stores, troops quarters and all the separate parts of the fort. we had to take a small trolly rail to see the second part of our tour. We got to see how a lot of the turrets and defenses were operated which was really cool. Because the fort is underground, the temperature inside is substantially lower. Fortunately we had jackets, otherwise the tour could have been miserable. But the cold damp air did kind of mess with my lungs a little bit. But don't worry, I survived.

We left Otzenhausen two days later for Frankfurt. Instead of taking a bus the whole way, we took a river boat up the Rhine towards the city. The cruise was really enjoyable. There are plenty of small villages along the river, as well as numerous castles which were really cool to see. Fortunately the weather had cleared up and it was a beautiful day for being on the river.

By the time we got off of the boat we only had an hour bus ride to Frankfurt. I fell asleep on the way in so I missed a lot of the scenery of Frankfurt. But oh well.

Since it was our last night in Europe we all went to eat as a group. After that we all went back the hotel and just kind of did our own thing. I had to catch a shuttle to the airport at 5 so it was a short night for me. And after a very long day of flying, we made it back to the good ol' U.S. of A.

Conclusion
                                      "I have not told half of what I saw” Marco Polo

I feel like I can connect with Marco Polo here in that even with words and pictures, I can never fully describe everything I have seen or experienced on my trip to you.

This trip was an experience of a lifetime. Seeing so many new places and all of the historical sites there have made memories that I know I will not forget. I wish I could adequately describe how memorable this trip has been.

I have walked along the same ramparts as William the Conqueror. I've stood at the beaches, bridges, and cliffs that American, British, and Canadian soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, parachuted into darkness over France, and scaled the the cliffs of Point du Hoc. I've sat in the same foxholes as American soldiers fought from in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. I've even stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower and seen the lights of Paris from 896 feet above the ground.

In all, I feel like my time in Europe opened my eyes to history in a new way. I used to think World War II as being an ocean way, on some distant battlefield. But after seeing the battlefields and even talking with the few people I did that were alive during the war, I have a whole new outlook. For them the war was having your town or village occupied by the Germans, your home destroyed from bombs or artillery, or even a family member killed just because they were caught in the crossfire. The horror of war was not an ocean away, but right outside. It affected everyone, civilians and soldiers alike. Its the legacy of both World Wars that gives war a bitter taste in the mouth of many Europeans (especially the French).

Well, that about sums it all up. Thanks for all of you that have continued to follow along with my trip and for checking up on me while I was away.

-Kyle Machen

Paris, Verdun, and finally...Germany!

Hey everybody! Hope all is well back home. We just got in to Germany not too long ago and have settled into our rooms for the next few days. We just had an amazing dinner and Im afraid I may drop into a food coma if I don't hurry up and get through this so here we go...

Paris
Although it pained me to leave the beautiful St. Malo, our time in Paris was a blast. We could see the Eiffel Tower from our hotel (which was about a 15 minute walk) so being right in the center of things was great.
After we settled into our rooms, a group of us left to go see the tower and the surrounding sights by our hotel. It was quite a bit of walking but well worth it.

First, we checked out the tower. As the iconic symbol of Paris and France, the place was booming with tourists. As a result, there were plenty of gypsies around trying to sell their contraband souvenirs. It was annoying, but also very entertaining to watch them sprint away in every direction when Police officers arrived. The coolest part of the tower however was at night. In addition to being lit up, every hour addition lights begin flashing sporadically for a 5 minute period (giving the effect that the tower is 'glittering').

In addition to seeing the tower we also saw the Palais de Challot, the site where Hitler (following the surrender of France) posed for his famous picture in front of the Eiffel Tower. A grim reminder that 71 years ago this active and lively city was just coming under the dark cloak of occupation.

Next we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, which commemorates Napoleon, his armies, and their victories in similar fashion to a Roman Arc. The sculpture and detail on the monument is fascinating to behold. In his day, Napoleon had many of the streets of Paris were rerouted to pass around the arc, making it central to Parisian life.

Days 2-3: Walking tour, the Louvre & Versailles 
The next two days were full of sight seeing.
Day 2- began with a walking tour of the city's WWII history. Our tour guide was an American from California so we had no trouble understanding what he was saying. He provided a whole lot of insight on what life was like in Paris during the German occupation. One interesting fact was that Hitler ordered explosives set on all the major monuments and buildings so that once the Allies got close the Germans could destroy the city as they retreated. Obviously the city's famous monuments were not destroyed by the Germans due mostly to the refusal of the Germans to do so.

Our tour guide for the walking tour of WWII

Our walking tour ended at Notre Dame, where the group was dismissed to do our own thing. Since we were close by, we decided to hit up the Louvre. Fortunately our guide told us about this little known stairwell that allowed you to bypass the large line waiting to get to the ticket area. We didn't really want to see the whole thing, so we went to the Mona Lisa and then viewed all the Greco-Roman sculptures. There was also a wing devoted to the apartments of Napoleon III which was really cool to see what the palace was like when he lived there.

Mona Lisa

Augustus (my favorite of the Roman Emperors)

Day 3- Since a group had gone the day before, we decided to take the subway outside of Paris to the Palace at Versailles.

First off, it would be more appropriate to call this a city rather than a palace. Everything you would ever need was pretty much there. While it does appear to be nothing more than an expression of opulence, the palace itself was more of a political tool. Having been frightened by a riot in Paris as a young child, Louis XIV moved his residence from the Louvre to the hunting chateau, where he greatly expanded it to the 700 room structure you see today. In order to consolidate his power as an absolute monarch, he used Versailles almost like a country club (only those who swore an oath of allegiance to him could get in). So while it does seem over the top for our standards, you have to realize it was all a ploy by Louis to get the nobles. Because of its shear size we did not see all of the gardens but the parts we did see were amazing.

Fountain at the head of the Gardens

The Hall of Mirrors (where some of the most important decisions leading to the Great Wars were made)

We took the train back to town and, after wandering around a bit, found Notre Dame. Although the line was really long we made it inside in about 5 minutes. What was really neat was that they were conducting a mass during that time, so the entire cathedral was filled with the songs of a choir and congregation. The smell of incense however was very potent so we didn't spend too much time in there.

Notre Dame during evening mass

It doesn't sound like it, but trust me they were 2 very full days with lots of walking involved. All in all, Paris was a blast.

Departing from France/Verdun
After a great couple of weeks, we have finally left France for good. But we could not leave the country without first visiting the WWI memorial at Verdun. Although it was a major battle of the war, Verdun itself served no real strategic purpose. The Germans attacked the French there because they knew it was a city in which they would have to fight for. Because of this, the Germans aimed to "bleed the French white" (destroy as much of the French Army as possible, regardless of loss). Although the French ultimately succeeded in driving back the Germans, there was no real victor as both sides suffered horrendous casualties (306,000 total dead).

Bones piled in chambers at the Ossuary at Verdun. By the time the battle ended these were all that remained of some of the men who had perished there. A very grim symbol of an extremely morbid and macabre battle

Verdun is a symbol of the horror of war. It was this horror that made the French convinced that WWI was truly the war to end war. It was a hell on earth, where life and youth perished in the inferno of artillery barrages (the blast craters are still there in large numbers). It was madness. And while Verdun and WWI are not part of of the course, one cannot fully understand the events and causes that led to the Second World War.

Germany
After our somber visit to Verdun we got back on the road to Germany. I awoke from a nap to find the green tree covered hills had a surprisingly similar resemblance to parts of the Texas Hill Country (sorta reminding of home).

By far the best part of Germany thus far: the food. After weeks of eating the SAME, EXACT, stuff EVERY, SINGLE day in France, we have finally come to a place where the food is both good and filling. Our meal tonight was pretty much a German BBQ: two types of sausage, pork chops, turkey breast and a variety of salads, bread, pastas, and potatoes. I don't think a word was hardly spoken at dinner because everyone was stuffing there face with this delicious food.

Because we are in the final weeks of our study abroad our primary focus is to finish out the classes strong. I'll do my best to update you all on Bastogne and the Ardennes as well as the remaining field trips we have but understand that if you dont notice a new blog for a while its because I am busy working on the school work.

Well thats all for now!

"Yes mom, I am still alive": A long overdue account of Dublin, London, St. Malo and the journey in between

Hey guys! I am SO sorry that it has taken me so long to finally post a new entry. We got back from Ireland and had to face the unpleasant part of all study abroads: Exams. But we are done with our midterms now so its all good. Anyways, there is a lot to cover so here we go!

Four-Day Weekend to Dublin
For our four day weekend a majority of the group decided to go to Dublin, Ireland. Everyone was pretty excited to get out of France and head to an English speaking country.

I wish I could say that our trip to and from Ireland and France was pleasant and relaxing but it was far from it for a number of reasons. First, our 'peaceful and relaxing' train ride to Paris was delayed due to issues on the tracks (a 'landside' of dirt and a few rocks). That set us back an hour and with another hour on the train we made it to Paris with only an hour to get to the airport. We practically sprinted through the Paris subway tunnels and cramped into subway cars packed full of people who hadn't showered in a few years. A wrong train lost us a crucial 15 minutes that caused us to miss our flight. We begged and pleaded with AirFrance to try to get us on or on an earlier flight the next day. Although we couldnt all go as a group, we were able to book flights at different times throughout the day to Dublin. The four of us with later flights in the afternoon found a really nice and fairly cheap hotel on the airport to stay the night while the earlier flight people slept in the airport.

On the trip back, our plane's landing gear was not functioning properly so we had to turn around and go back to Dublin. Not being a huge fan of flying, I of course had nightmares of going down in the English Channel and having to endure some horrific plane crash survival scenario that you see on Discovery Channel. Its ridiculous, but with the luck we had had I was giving it pretty good odds. Our delayed flight meant we missed our earlier train back to Caen from Paris, so we had to buy another ticket and leave later. But we made it!

Dublin was amazing! Despite the infinite number of pubs and the fact that most Irish begin drinking Guinness at 9:30 AM, the Irish were probably the friendliest Europeans we have encountered so far. They would always help with directions or just sit and talk with you at pubs about pretty much whatever (soccer was pretty much the topic). Aside from socializing with the Irish a few of us went and saw the final Harry Potter film (which with some of the Irish providing commentary was hysterical). Believe it or not, my A&M Student ID actually counted for me to get student ticket prices (only 4 Euros). We also checked out the Guinness Storehouse, where they still brew Ireland's signature beer. At the very top of the storehouse (also the largest pint glass in the world - could hold up to 500 million pints) was the Gravity Bar, where you could exchange your ticket stub from the tour for a free freshly poured pint of Guinness. It was probably one of the best beers I have ever had.

Ranger Museum, Saint Marie Eglise, and Polish Cemetery
The next day we took a field-trip to the Ranger Museum near Point du Hoc. Although small, the Ranger Museum is full of information and artifacts about the Rangers on D-Day, including the actual ropes that they used to scale the cliffs. One Ranger in particular received more attention than the others: James Earl Rudder. The museum had a whole wall section dedicated to him. What I found really interesting was a copy of a magazine article in which Earl Rudder and his son Bud were followed by a reporter as the war hero returned with his son to Point du Hoc.

After our short visit was then followed by a trip to the Airborne Museum at Saint Marie Eglise. This was a drop zone targeted for the 82nd Airborne to hit, with St. Marie Eglise being the the main target. The museum in itself was not as interesting as the tribute the local public made.

Above, you see one of two stained glass windows. If you look closely, you will see the unit patches of the 82nd and 101st Airborne as well as other units. In the center, you see an Angel prepared for battle with sword, shield, and armor. A key thing to note here is the Angel's wings - upon completion of airborne school a paratrooper is given a set of jump wings. Although these are not the same style of wings as the Angel has, it is clear that the French civilians of the city viewed the coming of Airborne troops a God sent miracle from above.

Similar to this is a statue found near the Airborne Museum

The lower part is the outline of France. A parachute drops with a torch (liberty) as the hands of the French people break through the darkness of occupation, with chains and all, to grab the light of freedom.

Our last stop was to the Polish cemetery. Although Poland was conquered in 1939 by Germany and Russia, some groups of their soldiers made it out to France and eventually to Britain. There, they formed their own brigades to help fight the Nazis. Their patriotism is admirable. Although their country was occupied and they had no more need to fight, they joined the Allied crusade to defeat the Nazis.

Statue at Polish Cemetery. The warrior, with shield raised as if to take on a giant, still holds a sword and waits to deliver a final blow

Bayeux
Our next visit was to Bayeux, where the Normandy Campaign Museum and the British Cemetery are located. The museum did not allow photography but I did take a few pictures with my I-phone very discretely (I just couldn't pass them up, don't judge). But it basically summed up all the separate missions and landings during D-Day into one concise museum.

The British cemetery was styled very similar to the Canadian one in that many of the gravestones had personalized messages inscribed at the request of the families. More emotional messages of love and respect; more messages of pride for a son, who was only 19, but did "a man's job. Not only British soldiers were buried here. There were several graves committed to soldiers of the Commonwealth (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Egypt.) as well as Italians, Czechs, Poles, and even Russians and Germans. On this hallowed ground both enemies and allies alike lay side by side in peace.

Aside from WWII, Bayeux is also the site of the Bayeux tapestry: an 900+ year old, 224 ft. long timeline of William the Conquer's invasion of Britain in 1066. The detail and extent that the weavers went to to record this historical event was mind-blowing. Something this massive, this detailed that had survived so long was incredible to witness. It is not just words on a page in a history book. This is a graphic illustration of what happened. This is history you don't get to learn in a classroom.

I deviate from WWII to talk about this because in a way, the events of 1066 very much influenced the events of 1944. William the Conqueror established the foundation of the British Monarchy and the Britain that we know today. His institutions and his descendants over time would go from control of their small island, to controlling 85% of the globe and the dominant force on the seas. It is all relevant because in 1944, the British helped to liberate the homeland of the king that long ago, conquered theirs. This is reflected in the in an epitaph on the memorial outside the cemetery:

Memorial for the Missing at British Cemetery

"We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror's native land."

Much like the Bayeux tapestry, the span of history itself is often weaved together in one large diorama.

Two-Day Weekend to London

This trip was very last minute spur of the moment. Originally I had not planned on going anywhere for the two-day and just wanted to stay in Caen to read and relax. But its not everyday that an opportunity to go to London falls in your lap so I joined in with a group of 7 others to go see the UK.

Having little faith in trains or planes, we decided to take the much cheaper route of travel: the ferry. Although our voyage was about 5-6 hours, traveling on a ferry instantly became one of my favorite ways to travel. It was more of a small cruise ship than a ferry!

We arrived in Portsmouth and took a train to London (somewhat hypocritical but English trains are ok. The French trains are the evil ones.) Our hotel was outside of the main London area and Im almost 90% sure that the manager is, or at some point was associated with the Russian Mafia.  But it was a bed to sleep in and at that point I was just too tired to care.

They may look goofy, but their weapons are real. If you make it past them you still have the fully decked out SWAT troopers with machine guns and all waiting for you.

London, so far, has been my favorite place. We only had one full day to see it and the 8 of us made the most of it. We woke up early and hit the subway to downtown London to see all the sights. We saw so many great things but best of all was Queen Elizabeth II in her motorcade leaving Buckingham Palace. I think we may have made eye contact for a split mili-second but it was so cool being that close to a monarch.

The Queen's motorcade. 

Aside from seeing the historical sites of London, we also ventured to Abbey Road and did our best to stage the same picture as the Beatles (except the cars weren't stopping for us so it turned into a game of Frogger). We also caught the matinee showing of 'Phantom of the Opera', which was the idea of the three girls but Im really glad that we complied. It was an amazing show and the cast blew us away with both their acting and their singing.

After a full day we made it back to our hotel, had a few words with our Russian friend, then went to bed. We caught an early train to Portsmouth, where we looked around at the different shops before finally getting on the ferry back to Caen. We had no issues with travel so the trip was much more relaxing.

Departure from Caen
The next day we departed Caen to relocate south along the Coast at St. Malo. On the bus ride there we stopped at another German cemetery, different from the others in that it consisted of vaults and not graves. Like the other German cemeteries, little else is known about the soldiers there aside from their rank and serial number.

Our next stop was at Mont Saint Michel- a massive cathedral/monastery town dedicated to the Arch-angel Michael. Oh ya, its built on an island too!

The whole city seems like something you would see in Lord of the Rings (Minas Tirith for those of you who know the trilogy). A massive city built almost strait out of the rock it rests on and towers above the bay. At the highest point, a gold statue of Michael stands overlooking the bay and countryside for miles.
Its a giant fortress of a church.

Mont Saint Michel

Another interesting security measure of the city is its location on an island. At high tide, the land route to the city is cut off by water. This made any attempt by seafaring raiders or roaming bandits to take the city  by land or sea would be cut short because of the tide. But what a prefect illustration for the security we have in our God!
"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalms 18:2)


The whole time walking around the city, and others like it, I felt like I needed to have a sword and armor while some epic movie soundtrack blares over loudspeakers. Unfortunately they don't offer tours like that over here. 


Saint Malo
After leaving Saint Michel we arrived in Saint Malo, our new location until Thursday (tomorrow). By far, the best place in France we have visited. Our hotel is in the historical area of the city that is still surrounded by walls which over look the harbor and make a great place for a walk or in this mornings case, a excellent running track. Of the 18 of us in the group, there is probably 99% consensus that we would have rather stayed in St. Malo and take hour bus rides over staying in Caen. 

Walls of Saint Malo

The whole city has a maritime historic feel to it that just makes it fun. Its small enough to walk around, yet at the same time big enough to always keep exploring and find new things. (In particular, bakeries that serve crepes (don't judge) or beignets with Nutella or blueberry filling.)


Visit to Jersey
The day after arriving in St. Malo we took a ferry to Jersey, an island of the coast of France but belongs to the UK.  While the Nazis never did invade or occupy Britain, they did occupy Jersey from 1941 till 1945. 


Our main visit was to the Jersey War tunnels, which served as the headquarters/hospital area for the Germans. While the weather outside was chilly, the tunnels were buried under 35 feet of rock, making  inside a refrigerator. But the exhibits were very well done, and as always it is interesting to see a different side of the war through occupation. One exhibit focused on the topic of collaboration (working with, helping out the Germans). The room had several mannequins in German uniforms with television screens for heads. On the screens, a recorded face of a German soldier would be smiling, attempting to converse or introduce himself. While not the real deal, it does make you think about what you would do in a similar situation. 

Although cheesy looking, it does give you a good idea 

Yes, we all like to envision taking to the hills with our rifles and waging a insurrection against a foreign invader. But in the case of Jersey, they had "neither hills nor arms". Collaboration, while viewed after the war as treason in both Jersey and France, sometimes was a matter of survival. To some degree, EVERYONE collaborated in some way or the other.


Another interesting part of the museum is that upon entry you are handed a card (very similar to Identity Cards issued by the Nazis to occupied citizens) with a name, picture, and basic information about that person. Should you choose to, you can find out more about that person and what they did during the occupation. 


My card, Albert Gustave Bedane, was a physiotherapist who was persecuted for hiding an elderly Jewish woman supposed to be shipped to a concentration camp. He also helped a French prisoner of war  and several Russian prisoners escape the island.  Because food was scarce, he also 'illegally' took farmer's products as payment for his medical services. He was later declared a "Righteous Person" by Israel for his actions in helping Jews, the highest honor paid to those who assisted in saving Jews from the Holocaust. What an honor..

Well, thats it for now! Sorry I have taken so long to touch base. I'll check in with ya'll again once we get to Paris! 


Oh yes, one more thing....

America!

Pretty much the most epic picture I've taken. Ever.

The American Sector: Omaha Beach & Point Du Hoc / American and German Cemeteries

Hey guys! Hope all is going well back home. Everything here is good, except I fear that if the US Women's soccer team keeps up their beating on the French, we might be tarred and feathered over here for being Americans! Haha anyways I'll stop my attempts at humor and get right to today's trip. Bare with me because there is a lot.

What a day it was. After a short bus ride, our group arrived to probably the most well known beaches of the D-Day landings: Omaha beach.  Walking along this sand/cobblestone beach this morning was an experience I will never forget. As an American, every grain of sand is considered hallowed ground.

The surf at Omaha beach was in the exact same conditions as it would have been during the landing hours

Of the 5 separate beaches that the Allies were going to be landing on the morning of June 6th, the one beach they weren't sure could be taken was Omaha. As a veteran of the trench warfare in WWI, Rommel had fortified his German positions with any and all nightmares of defensive fortifications and obstacles he could. The beach was considered suicide. Despite this, the Allies could not afford to leave it opened because it would leave too much distance between the British landings at Gold Beach and the other American landings at Utah Beach.

Because it was such a gamble, the American commanders gambled even further by assigning the beach the the green (no combat experience) 29th Infantry Division alongside the combat experienced veterans of the 1st Infantry Division (also known as the Big Red One). The idea was that the veterans, having combat experience, would get on the beach and use their weapons, but hold fast and not take the risky moves that a fresh young infantryman would in those conditions (such as the new 29th). This combination, the commanders hoped, would give the troopers landing at Omaha a chance.

Regardless of their experience, the soldiers on the beach were descending into hell. As in all amphibious assaults, the assaulting soldiers would hit the beach with 0% combat potential (no fortifications or any means of a foothold. On the other hand, German defenders were at 100% combat potential with concealed beach positions and machine gun nests (manned with MG42s: nicknamed 'Hitler's buzz saw' because of its deadly high rate of fire). From the bluffs 300-400 yards (the consensus reached by a group member and myself) behind the beach and with the exception of a few strands of barbed wire and anti-vechile defenses, the Germans had nothing but open ground to fire thousands of rounds on the Americans below.

View from the bluffs. There was no vegetation whatsoever during the invasion so the Germans had clear targets. One machine-gunner was recored to have fired 10,000 rounds 

 Other obstacles in the water meant the landing craft could only come within 200 yards of the shore, leaving the soldiers to have to cross the freezing, rough waves in full gear (many of them were so heavy that they drowned). Some men were mowed down by German machine gunners before they could even leave their boats. On the beach, most of them threw themselves flat on the sand to avoid being hit by the machine gun fire coming from the bluffs.

For many, the beach was as far as they got before they were killed. Some of them spent the entire day laying in the sand praying they wouldn't get killed. I was imagining today what some of them might have been thinking as they buried their face in the sand. Im sure for some of them it was home, family and friends and the thought they would never see them again. I imagine some of them were probably so scared that they couldn't think of anything. Maybe even some of them were angry that they were pinned down and stuck in a completely unfair fight.

Whatever it was, the young men (a huge majority was between the ages of 18-24) found something within themselves to move forward; to arise from amidst the carnage and push on to the bluffs, were they had a much better chance at fighting back. From there, they ascended the bluffs and pushed the Germans back, taking the beach.

I've seen 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Band of Brothers' plenty of times to get an idea of what D-Day was like. But until today, I had never felt just how cold the North Atlantic can be in the summer. I never saw how the tide pounds away at Norman coastline. I never perceived just how far and how much open ground the American soldiers had to cover under the heavy fire.

Until today, I had no real idea just of how terrifying this beach must have been to the men who landed here. It was truly a reverent experience.

The American Cemetery
From the beach we walked up the bluffs to where the American cemetery is. At the entrance is a wall which encloses the Garden of the Missing. There are 1,557 soldiers whose remains were never recovered. Their names are engraved upon the wall as a reminder that while their body lay buried somewhere unknown, their names are eternally enshrined with their brethren that lay buried.

9,387 marble headstones grace this 172 acre plot. Among these lay 41 sets of brothers, 3 Medal of Honor winners, and 1 (and only) set of father and son.

At the front of the cemetery we stood in in two lines while the National Anthem was played. We then turned around to stand during the playing of Taps, followed by a minute of silence. The coolest part to me was that there were other tourists there (and many of them not American) that showed tremendous respect during this ceremony. It was such an amazing experience and makes me so proud to be an American.

Our professor tasked each one of us with a special assignment. We were each given a flower, accompanied with a name of a Texas soldier who fell during the invasion.

I was given the privilege to my respects to Private First Class Willie M. Smith of the 359th Infantry Regiment (90th Infantry Division). Pvt. Smith was killed June 18th.

Following this, our group went to see the 2 most well known sets of brothers buried in the cemetery. The first one was were the Roosevelts (Theodore Jr. and Quentin), sons of President Teddy Roosevelt.

Theodore Jr.'s grave stone is noticeably marked with the Medal of Honor distinction. As with the two others, the writing on his headstone is in gold

Theodore Jr. was a Brigadier General who landed at Utah Beach. He was a passionate soldier who believed that as an officer he should be on the beach with his men to encourage them. His commander almost refused him, until Theodore Jr. threatened to call his cousin in Washington (FDR). Needless to say he was allowed to go and was in the first boat ashore. He and his men landed off course at Utah beach. When asked what to do, he is famously quoted as saying "We'll start the war from right here." General Roosevelt died of a heart attack on June 12th and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor

Quentin is a different story. He was a 1st Lieutenant in the 95th Aero Squadron. He was shot down and killed on July 18th BUT... in 1918. Quentin served in WWI and is the only veteran of that war to be buried in this cemetery. When the Germans found him and discovered him to be a Roosevelt, they buried  him with top military honors. After the death of Theodore Jr., the family requested Quentin be laid next to his brother.

The second set of brothers are more well known: Preston and Robert Niland.

Sound familiar? If not, it is probably because you've heard them referred to as their fictional name 'Ryan'. These are two of 4 brothers that Stephen Spielberg based 'Saving Private Ryan' off of.

Preston was a 2nd Lieutenant  in the 4th Infantry division and was killed on June 6th. The following day Robert, a Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne was killed. A third brother was shot down in the Pacific and captured by the Japanese (later released). The fourth brother, James, made it through D-Day and was back in England when he received word of his brothers. Under the Sole-Survivor Policy, James was sent back home to New York.
SPOILER ALERT: The character portrayed by Tom Hanks (Captain Miller) is based off a Major Thomas D. Howie. He was so well respected that when he was killed, his body way covered with a flag and set in front of the village church for soldiers walking by to pay their final respects.

The next headstone had a heartbreaking story to it.

Billie D. Harris was a 1st Lieutenant from Oklahoma who was killed on July 17th. He was 22, my age. His wife back home however, received no word of her husband's death. She never remarried and always held on to a little bit of hope that her beloved Billie was still alive and fighting on. Five years ago she traveled to the cemetery, where she found his headstone that you see above. He had been here, waiting for her.

All the headstones have names written on the opposite side of the main entrance. This is because they are all buried facing West - towards Home. A quote in the visitor's center drove everything home:
"If ever proof were needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest could be found in theses cemeteries. Here was our only conquest: all we asked...was enough soil in which to bury our gallant dead." -General Mark W. Clark

I could go on and on about the American cemetery but I am trying my best to keep this as short as possible. But the more I'm here, the more and more excited I get about this and just want to go on forever sharing about it!

We stopped for lunch in the village of Vierville (also known as the Vierville Gap), where the Americans broke through and first got vehicles up the narrow roads to the top of the bluffs. Lunch was great! Several of us went to a small tavern and had theses amazing sausage and cheese calzones. Lunch of champions!

Point Du Hoc
One cannot call themselves a true Aggie if they cross an entire ocean to come to France and not take time to visit Point Du Hoc. This is where the 2nd Ranger Battalion under James Earl Rudder (class of 1932- WHOOP!) scaled the cliffs to assault the heavy gun emplacements covering both the Utah and Omaha beaches. If these guns weren't neutralized, they could easily pick off ships in the Channel and wreak havoc on the already defenseless troops below.

The outer most point (notice the lookout bunker bottom center) of the German fortifications. The cliff in the background gives an idea of what some the ranges had to climb.

A combined Naval and Air bombardment hit the German defenses but failed to fully knock them out before the Rangers could scale the cliffs and take advantage of their confusion. It was intense fighting at Point Du Hoc (Rudder himself was wounded several times). But the Rangers dug in, using the bomb craters as defensive positions to hold off the German counterattack and slowly advance to destroy the German's 155mm guns. After three days of fighting, Rudder's Rangers were relieved by reinforcements from the beach.

What I found most interesting here is that the bomb craters from 1944 are still here. For the most part (with the exception of the bunkers and vegetation growth) this is a battlefield that has not changed. Unbelievable.

Needless to say, its hard to move around Point Du Hoc without noticing the craters.

Me at the bottom of a bomb crater. Im about 5'10 so use that to help gauge the scale of how massive these are.

German Cemetery
Last but not least, our day was concluded by visiting the German cemetery.

Even the Germans get cemeteries in France, despite the bitter hatred that the French held towards them. But even enemies can and must show respect for one another. Even members of the Waffen-SS, probably the most fanatical and ruthless of Hitler's Nazi followers, are given a place in the soil of France.

Unlike the Allied cemeteries, the German one is much smaller meaning the corpses had to be buried two caskets to a grave. What information is known about them is engraved on a clay German cross.

While the French may show respect to their enemies, that does not mean that they treat them to the same degree as the Allies as the German cemetery is very simple and has few memorials to the men buried there.


Well thanks for hanging in there with me!  I know it was a lot to take in but it was just another full day of  seeing history. Thanks to all those keeping up with me and I can't wait to get back to the U.S. and about it in person. There are plenty of pictures on Facebook from today so help yourself.

Our free weekend is tomorrow and so I'll be off to Ireland for 4 days so Ill be sure to mention that on here when I get back.

Thats all for now!

A busy day in France: Pegasus Bridge, Merville, Canadian Cemetery, and Arromanche

Hey guys! Hope all is going well back in the U.S. of A! We had a long day of being on the road to different places in France but it was really interesting and all in all, a good day. Another good day means a lot to write about so I'll get started:

Pegasus Bridge 

Our first visit was to Pegasus Bridge. It was one of two bridges on the Orne river that was tasked to the British 6th Airborne Division. These men were pulled in gliders to France where they were released to quietly fly over the Germans and land near the Bridges. The bridge was important to keep intact because if the the Germans blew the bridge there was no way for the reinforcements landing on the beach to get to them should the Germans counter attack. The British were very successful, catching the Germans completely by surprise and holding the bridge.

Because the symbol of the 6th Airborne was the Pegasus, the bridge was named after the unit and has held the name ever since. Veterans (only 3 remain living) of the division often return with their families to see the river and bridge again and many choose to have their ashes scattered over the bridge.

Our British tour guide at Pegasus Bridge (he knew his stuff and was cracking jokes about the French which made him a hit with our group right off)

Concrete bunker at Merville

 After the bridge, we left towards the coast to the little village of Merville. The Germans had a large system of heavy bunkers outside the town close to the canal (and well within range of the coast for the massive artillery the Germans had). In order to silence these guns, a British Airborne unit was sent dropped on the battery to take it by surprise.

One of the many German guns at Merville

 The bunkers were really neat to see. From the outside they look just like big mounds but underneath the grass and layers of thick concrete was a complex system with well armed soldiers which could deal death to Allied soldiers and ships in the area. One of the bunkers had a reenactment of the British clearing out the Germans. They had lights, smoke, and recorded explosions, gunshots, and voices playing (which in the dark bunker sounded like absolute chaos).

Our next stop was a more somber one. We left Merville to the Canadian cemetery.

Rather than be associated in with the British (like they had in WWI), the Canadians wanted a separate cemetery to honor the sacrifice that their young men made on D-Day. The cemetery is bordered by trees, surrounded by wheat fields, making it a very peaceful memorial. Unlike the British and American cemeteries, the Canadian graves are much more individualistic: They all have a Canadian maple leaf (which by the way there are Maple trees planted around the cemetery) state the man's name, rank, unit, age when he died (date when he died). The last part, which I found really neat, is that the commission in charge of the cemetery allowed for the families of the men to have a message placed on the tombstone. Bible verses (John 15:13), prayers, final wishes of love and respect were very common and made the graves personal to the men and their families.

The one below really stuck out to me:

It reads "In loving memory of our son, our only child. In God's keeping you safely lie"

Call me what you want, but reading this tombstone elicited a lot of emotion in me. It drives home just how costly war and the defense of liberty is. Freedom requires sacrifice and it is not just soldiers that give their all, but families giving their only child (who was a year younger than I am) so that others may live and enjoy freedom.

Sorry for the emotional stuff! After the cemetery we drove to the coastal town of Arromanche. I absolutely loved this town! Im not much of a coastal or beach person but this little town was amazing!

As for WWII history, Arromanche was extremely important to the D-Day invasion because it was the site chosen by the Allies for setting up the newly conceived artificial harbors. In order for the invasion to succeed, the Allies had to keep men, material, and supplies moving from the beach further into the country side. To do that, they needed harbors which all of the harbors in Normandy were heavily fortified by the Germans. Lacking a suitable port, the Allies decided they would just BUILD their own.

They only had a matter of days to design and create the many different components for a sea wall and artificial harbor to be constructed. But they did! And with Arromanche being lightly defended by the Germans the Allies set up the harbors, allowing for the invasion forces to continue their push into France.

Remnants of the harbor are still seen today. It was a massive engineering project undergone by American and British military Engineers

We left Arromanche to go further down the beach to another German battery. Unlike the ones at Merville, the bunkers and guns here were much larger (105mm) and closer to the coast. The barrels were so big I could have probably have fit the lower half of my leg down the barrel! Needless to say, these guns were a huge threat and were subject to heavy naval bombardment and aerial bombing. But the massive guns and bunker systems are still there, making it a really neat place to visit.

Some other facts from today:

Invasion Stipes: As seen on the plane to the left, all Allied aircraft in the invasion had to have the black and white invasion stripes painted on them. This was to avoid a repeat of friendly fire the Allies experienced during the invasion of Sicily.

Because German aerial recon was active to spot invasion craft, the Allies couldn't paint the stripes until the day before the invasion. Considering that the Allies had the largest fleet of aircraft ever assembled for the invasion (11,590 planes) this was no easy task and required 97 tons of paint to accomplish. But they pulled it off!

The Piper at the Bridge: The Lieutenant General of the British forces landing on Sword beach 

(which would relieve the 6th Airborne at Pegasus Bridge) marched with his personal

bagpiper, a Scottish Sergeant. He played all the way from Sword Beach to Pegasus Bridge, his bagpipes being heard from miles away. This scene is popularized in the film "The Longest Day". These are the same pipes that are below.

Well, that about covers today!