Luckily you can see that it stopped raining and there was a spot of blue sky. We are here at our first stop, Point Du Hoc. We were there early so the museum part wasn't open yet, but that was okay because there was so much to explore.
AJ with the map behind him showing the details. The Germans had a battery of 155MM guns and an observation post here. They had the range to reach Utah and Omaha Beaches, as well as the invasion fleet offshore. It became a primary target for pre-invasion air and naval bombardment. Only a ground assault could ensure that the guns would be neutralized on D-Day
This is one of the holes that lead down to all the tunnels that were here.
The four-five days before D-day the allied forces dropped bombs on Pointe Du Hoc
AJ up on the cliff top over looking the ocean.
David reading some of the history, that was one really wonderful thing about all the places we went they had so much history there to read and personal stories of people actually there. Those were some of the most heart wrenching ones.
The boys heading down into one of the bunkers. We didn't have a flashlight with us and it was really, really dark down there. It was really just two rooms with four walls, I am guessing it was used for storage.
My boys by one of the craters. Some were really deep, others not as big, but they were all over the place.
They had these tunnels connecting the bunkers all over the place.
The boys around where one of the 155MM used to sit. The 75th Rangers were tasked with taking Pointe Du Hoc. The high seas sunk two of the ships, but the rest pressed on. They were delayed for 40 minutes by weather, etc and the assault lost the critical element of surprise. Landing under heavy fire from the alerted German defenders, the Rangers struggled to launch their water-soaked climbing ropes. Once they finally made it up there they found that all the guns had been moved inland because the Germans never expected a sea attack. They soon discovered the unmanned guns farther inland and pointing at Utah Beach.
Here you can see more of the holes from the pre-attack. Just think what this would have looked like 70 years ago, with no erosion or grass.
AJ in front of where they had one of the guns.
Look at my strong men!!!
These are the cliffs that the Rangers had to scale to take Pointe Du Hoc. Of the 225 Rangers that left ship in the first wave to attack Pointe Du Hoc, only 90 men were still able to bear arms when the relief force arrived on the morning of June 8th.
This is the largest structure at Pointe Du Hoc, the Observation Bunker which provided commanding views of the approaches to Omaha and Utah Beaches.
In 1979 the French government deeded this Ranger Monument to the American Battle Monuments Commission in recognition of enduring friendship between the two nations.
The boys had a god time with this, they went down through the tunnels and then climbed up through the hole.
AJ's turn! Michael had so much fun he made a few more rounds.
A copy of the guns that the Rangers took out. Of the 350,000 Allied personnel who took part in the D-Day invasion, including the 156,000 troops who landed on Normandy's beaches approximately 9,000 casualties on June 6. By the end of the campaign for Normandy, the Allies suffered more than 200,000 casualties, including over 50,000 killed.
AJ playing some cards with a friend driving to our next stop, the American Cemetery. It was a wealth of knowledge here. In the main building they had about five different movies you could watch about D-Day, etc along with photos and signs. So much history. They also had a place where the men fighting there told their stories in their own words and voices. It was really powerful.
AJ and Michael signing the guest book.
The 1944-era flags displayed here represent the coalition of nations that provided men and material for the Allied invasion of Normandy. The Atlantic Wall included over 500,000 beach obstacles, 6.5 million mines and 13,000 fortified coastal strong points. Almost 1.8 million enemy troops were stationed in Western Europe. They dropped 500 self-destructing dummy parachutists behind enemy lines just before D-Day to spread confusion and get them away from the actual landing sites.
It was such a beautiful sight, they keep the cemetery manicured.
This 22 foot bronze statue is called "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves."
A view from the statue looking out over the cemetery.
This is the chapel that is in the middle of the cemetery.
This cemetery contains nearly 9,400 graves of American servicemen and women and individually honors over 1,500 Americans missing in action.
The boys and I in front of the memorial. After the cemetery we headed back to camp. We were getting ready for the big scouting events for the rest of the afternoon.
Our groups of scouts looking sharp, ready for more adventures.
We had about a three mile hike to get to the campfire that afternoon, luckily the weather was holding and the sun was still out.
AJ with his cub scout back pack he earned and all in his gear hiking away!
The boys thought these were really cool and wanted to ride on those instead of walking the whole distance.
Michael and AJ getting ready for the campfire.
It was a huge ceremony with many scouts getting awards and some moving from cub scouts to boy scouts.
The one problem with this whole thing was the benches were for VIPs and they were older and very large. None of the kids could see, so it as a little frustrating and a little boring for the kids.
Then we headed back towards camp a little bit to get to the big multi-media event.
One of the screens.
After all that walking the boys were enjoying a snack before the show began.
This was just a third of the crowd, maybe less. There were so many people there from all different countries. There were even scouts from France there.
The boys really enjoyed the fly overs. There was a lot of talking, a lot of translating and I think it was aimed more at the older boy scouts than our kids. They were really good, but we all were starting to get anxious so we didn't stay till the end. We stayed through act six, but then headed back to camp.
This big sculpture, Les Braves, was created to honor the courage of all the men who endangered and often sacrificed their lives in the hope of freeing the french people. The Wings of Hope so that the spirit which carried these men on June 6th, 1944 continues to inspire us, reminding us that together it is always possible to change the future. Rise, Freedom 1 so that the example of those who rose against barbarity helps us remain standing strong against all forms of inhumanity. The Wings of Fraternity so that this surge of brotherhood always reminds us of our responsibility towards others as well as ourselves.
The boys having a great time heading back for camp, they LOVE the beach!!!
AJ walking and contemplating, what I am not sure. Or he was trying my patience walking that thin line about not getting his shoes wet.
Michael taking a little break on the way back. Once we arrived back in camp there was lots of activity. We had dinner and then the boys played until it was time for the fireworks. It was a cold night, but I was ever so thankful that it wasn't raining. The weather held all day!!!
A couple of pictures of the fireworks. It was really a great display!!! The boys loved it!!! They know how to put on a show. One really nice thing, they were shot off right at our campsite on the beach. So we just brought the chairs down a little bit and sat and enjoyed the view. It was another cold night, with everybody so excited and wide awake. It was late by the time we finally fell asleep. I was woken up in the middle of the night by strong winds and you guessed it, rain. But at least we were in our tents. We also used hand warmers in our sleeping bags to keep us a little more toasty that night. The boys thought it was great!!!
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