Normandy Landings

I woke up the next day to beautiful weather! I studied the program for the coming days and figured I wanted to by a little further up the coast. So I headed out.

First The Big Red One

First I stopped by the Normandy Cemetery. This is a really beautiful cemetery. About 10,000 people buried here. Really one of the most breathtaking military cemeteries I have been to. I think it is also one of the largest, by area, I have been to it takes up an enormous amount of land.

The look out from the cemetery, i think its Omaha Beach below

Next up for the day was Point Du Hoc. This was thought to be a super important place for the Rangers to capture. A lot of them died scaling the cliffs to get to it. They were to get to the top to disable some 155mm guns. When they got there the guns were gone. 

The bunker on top had been on fire at one point 

Look out of the bunker over the point. 

Sometimes I dont understand why I go places like this. I usually end up frustrated by the propaganda that is everywhere. Then listening to the conversations around I get more frustrated by the absolute lack of knowledge people have but the information they follow blindly just because its what they are told. 

At the Normandy Cemetery I was sitting quietly by myself when some other Americans set down beside me and started talking to me. They told me how amazing the cemetery is, and it is amazing. Then going on about how many people are buried here and why and what they were fighting. Then they asked my opinion and unfortunately my opinion didnt match theirs. I told them I felt 10,000 people wasnt a huge amount. To put it in perspective I said I have seen cemeteries in the East with 40,000 and some with almost twice that. There was a spirited conversation that followed, more spirited from them, I finally gave up. I think there is a saying dont argue with an idiot they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. 

Needless to say I left the cemetery in general depressed, because I think there is no other way to leave the cemetery, humbled and also frustrated.