Visit to Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery and Pointe du Hoc.

[Kutnupe14]

Great pictures and story Frenchman, I would imagine that even today some remains are still being recovered.

I'd imagine that there are still plenty, undiscovered, still in the Pacific. The theater, not the ocean.

 

[Leadeye]

I'd imagine that there are still plenty, undiscovered, still in the Pacific. The theater, not the ocean.

I remember when they found the live Japanese soldier who hadn't surrendered. Quite a story back then.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I remember when they found the live Japanese soldier who hadn't surrendered. Quite a story back then.

Greatest hide and seek player, ever!

 

[Trigger Time]

I think he was laughing at your ingo magnet on the tank lol

 

[Sylvain]

I'd imagine that there are still plenty, undiscovered, still in the Pacific. The theater, not the ocean.

Probably on some islands.
It's amazing all the stuff they find in populated areas.
Last year a guy found a german bunker under his driveway.
He lived there 20 years and he had no idea it was there, the city didn't know either.
Historians found the location by going thru German archives.
You can see a car parked on the roof of the bunker.
The owner never digged deep enough in his yard to find it before.

Another found hundreds of unexploded shells from WW2 in his yard.They had just built a new house not knowing it was there.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Probably on some islands.
It's amazing all the stuff they find in populated areas.
Last year a guy found a german bunker under his driveway.
He lived there 20 years and he had no idea it was there, the city didn't know either.
Historians found the location by going thru German archives.
You can see a car parked on the roof of the bunker.
The owner never digged deep enough in his yard to find it before.

Another found hundreds of unexploded shells from WW2 in his yard.They had just built a new house not knowing it was there.

While it's slowed down a bunch, it's still not uncommon for unexplored ordinance to be found in Germany. In Berlin, dang near everytime a new construction project starts, they discover something.

 

[actaeon277]

I'd imagine that there are still plenty, undiscovered, still in the Pacific. The theater, not the ocean.

American Legion is always reporting on remains being found, and servicemen brought back home.

And, some ships are still being found in the ocean.

 

[Sylvain]

I think he was laughing at your ingo magnet on the tank lol

I wanted to make it less obvious and see who would notice.

 

[Sylvain]

Making it to Omaha Beach ... I was there at low tide (like when GIs landend), the pictures don't really show the scale of the beach.
Omaha Beach is over 5 miles long and over 350 yards at low tide, which is the distance a landing soldier had to cover before they could reach the cliffs, and the dunes, and the first German bunkers.

 

[jedi]

The tank has an INGO sticker on it!!!!
OMG!!! You "bad" frenchman.

 

[Sylvain]

 

[Sylvain]

The rails for the cannon are still visible inside ...

 

[GregD]

Hi Sylvain, as always the pictures are amazing!

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E3qbymOk0g
[video=youtube;6E3qbymOk0g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E3qbymOk0g[/video]

 

[Sylvain]

Remains of a German trench built in zig zag.
It was 5 feet deep.

 

[Sylvain]

A few underground shelters protected Germans troops during Allied bombing.

The tunnel leading to two small rooms.

 

[Sylvain]

I think that's it for the most interesting pictures of Omaha Beach, next stop will be Pointe du Hoc.

The whole area was heavily bombed, it's amazing that some bunkers are still standing.

Those bombs craters are huge, you really realize their size when you're next to them in person.
For scale you can see cars and buses on the top left corner of the picture.

 

[mmpsteve]

Thanks very much for sharing this, sir. Almost unbelieveable what that generation was able to accomplish in such a relatively short time frame, and what was sacrificed, by all nations. I know the French suffered greatly, but how does the populace view the American sacrifice that was given, or do they think of it at all? Thanks again.

 

[Sylvain]

Thanks very much for sharing this, sir. Almost unbelieveable what that generation was able to accomplish in such a relatively short time frame, and what was sacrificed, by all nations. I know the French suffered greatly, but how does the populace view the American sacrifice that was given, or do they think of it at all? Thanks again.

You cannot not think about it when you're standing among nearly 10,000 crosses.Each of them representing a foreigner in his 20's who was willing to cross the ocean to die for your country.

The French more than any other understand that sacrifice, probably more even than many Americans who don't see the cemeteries, the monuments everywhere and the battle dammaged buildings, bullet holes in churches and huge bomb craters in the woods.

Most of the villages, town and cities in the area still hold every year a "liberation day parade" to commemorate the day US (and Allied) troops liberated their population.

Back in 1944 ...

Today ...

 

[KellyinAvon]

Thank you very much for the pictures (and INGO shout out) Sylvain. It's hard to believe next year will be the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The late General Norman Schwarzkopf was at Omaha Beach for the 50th anniversary in 1994 for a TV special. I'll never forget how he described the German fortifications, "This is the best defensive position I have ever seen." That says so much about those who took the beach.