NORMANDY

I couldn't come all the way to France and not make a trip to the battleground of Normandy. There are 5 different beaches of landing along a 40 mile stretch of the northwestern coast of France. The area is about 150 miles NW of Paris. Many people make the visit over a day and night. I chooses a tour that returned the same day. My bus left @ 0700 and return @ 2100. It was a long day but worth it. My favorite stops out of the 5 different places were the Memorial de Caen and the American Cemetery. There are many stories of individual heroism. One was the climbing of the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc by the Army Rangers to take out a German gun bunker. It was led by a Colonel James Rudder who I am told was an Aggie. There is also photographic evidence of the USS Texas bombarding the Germans during the landing.

PHOTOS HERE