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

[Sylvain]

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.

When you visit those bunkers you can see how tough they were built.
That bunker that fell from a 100 feet tall cliff, after surviving the war, and that is still in one piece is a great example of how tough they are.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Thanks for the great pictures Sylvain

 

[KokomoDave]

Sylvain, is the a plaque celebrating my great uncle?
Has was very famous for the D-Day invasion planning.
His name: Don Pardee Moon Rear Admiral.

 

[Sylvain]

Sylvain, is the a plaque celebrating my great uncle?
Has was very famous for the D-Day invasion planning.
His name: Don Pardee Moon Rear Admiral.

There is one at Utah Beach.

I will see if I can find it if I go there and take a better picture.Here's one I found online, it's in French ... You can see the name on the plaque.

Translation found here:

Monument Details

It's in a crypt apparently.

 

[Birds Away]

Thanks once again, Sylvain.

 

[Sylvain]

Visit to Pointe du Hoc.

US president Reagan made a speech right there in 1984.

 

[Sylvain]

They lead the way!

It's easy to injure yourself while visiting this site.There are ruins everywhere with huge broken blocks of concrete everywhere, steel rebars sticking out everywhere, sharp rusty barbwire, huge bomb craters and the crumbling cliff nearby.

Some parents were a bit worried having their kids climbing everywhere.

But hey it wouldn't be as fun to visit if the whole thing was 100% safe.

Uncle Sam is not responsible if you fall and hurt yourself.
The grounds now belong to the United States.

 

[Sylvain]

Lots of bomb craters everywhere ...

It's hard to show their size and depth in pictures.

 

[Sylvain]

A few bunkers are still standing, some have been destroyed to pieces.

Visit the inside as your own risk as there are big steps and no light inside.

The Rangers had to clear those bunkers room by room.

Machin gun port greeting you at the bottom of the stairs with a L shape entrance.You can't shoot or blow up the door from the outside unless you're willing to reach the bottom of the stairs in front of the gun port.

 

[ghitch75]

thanks so much for sharing Sylvain......

 

[Sylvain]

A few rooms inside, now empty and in total darkness.

Not many visitors went in.

 

[Sylvain]

More ruins ...

 

[Sylvain]

Same bunker visited by president Reagan.

He did his speech on the roof of that bunker.

 

[Sylvain]

The Ranger monument.

 

[Sylvain]

 

[Sylvain]

This bunker has lights inside.

Three large rooms inside, one still with its original steel door, is locked and off limit.

 

[Wolfhound]

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

Wow, that was good. Wish I could Rep you for it.

 

[Sylvain]

 

[Sylvain]

Nearby Pointe Du Hoc, at Arromanches, some parts of the Mulberry Harbor are still visible.
It is more visible at low tide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_harbour

One of the floating piers is still here.

Those piers are strong enough to support a tank and have been used as bridge after the war.

 

[Sylvain]

Next up will be some pictures from a local museum.

This museum covers WW2, the Normandy landing but also the cold war and the fall of the Berlin wall.

Hawker Typhoon