Honoring the Navies

Monuments on Utah beach honoring the men who got everyone there.

 

Entrance to Utah Beach

Utah Beach has one of the larger displays for D-Day. It even has a museum. The tank traps are original. The landing boat is a replica.

 

Arromanche

Still able to see the temporary port in the chilly, foggy October day.

 

Flags

In the churchyard at Ste. Maire Eglise.

 

Bunkers at Point du Hoc

Pretty good pictures of some of the bunkers the Rangers had to face on D-Day. Needless to say, they're not in great shape anymore.

 

Inside Ste. Mairie Eglise Church

The small village church is still beautiful. It also has stained glass windows, some of which thanking the Brits about WWI and some about D-Day.

 

Fields of Holes

Point du Hoc still has so many craters from D-Day. This is the place you can see the scars of war most easily in Normandy. Even the grass growing over them doesn't cover them up.

 

The Church with the Paratrooper

Fittingly, the airborne museum is right across from this church in Ste. Maire Eglise. This is where the paratrooper was trapped for several hours after his chute tangled with the steeple. 

 

Pointe du Hoc Bunkers

Not many bunker pics from Pointe du Hoc this time; they aren't letting people inside most of them anymore.

 

Pointe du Hoc Views

Views from Pointe du Hoc. Can't get as close to the cliffs as was the case years ago.

 

Pointe du Hoc Views

This is from an elevation a bit back looking into bunkers and over the cliff. You can't walk close to the cliff anymore; it's disintegrating and they're afraid it will break off with someone on it. Also, the bunkers are now locked and you can't just wander into them. Kind of sad.