1-The French have not forgotten. As we drove closer to these historic areas, we were moved to see the amount of U.S., British, and Canadian flags waving alongside le drapeau tricolore, the French flag, from the homes of ordinary French citizens. More than 80 years later and with most of the French folks who were alive to experience our landing resting in peace, the grateful of our first Allies has crossed at least one generation.
2-How powerful this visit would be for us. The combination of heartbreak and pride overtook me in a way I'd never experienced before. Despite several visceral interactions during my military, including saluting the flag while standing watch topside of my first duty station: USS L. Mendel Rivers, a Sturgeon-class, nuclear submarine, the sight of the U.S. flag has never conjured so much emotion.
3-The realization that this was why and when we earned our exceptionalism. Every year, France and other European nations honor the ultimate sacrfice made by our bravest. In the history of the world, you would be hard-pressed to find another example of a people sending their children halfway around the world in defense of their friends. It is this bravery, I suppose, that made us - organically - a world leader. We became a country to emulate. A people to respect. A person to treat to a beer or two. Since then, however, we've rested on THEIR laurels to become a nation of entitled assholes. We earned our exceptionalism then. Now, we demand it without cause.
Aylin's reflections:
Normandy, France, has been one of the most beautiful and saddest places to visit. My family and I went to Normandy, where D-Day happened, and after we watched "Saving Private Ryan."
We went to a museum in Normandy, where you could see real tanks, guns, military uniforms, and other things used during D-Day. After the museum, we walked around Omaha Beach, one of the beaches where the U.S. landed on D-Day. Nowadays, people cannot go swimming there out of respect for all of the soldiers, who died on that beach. My family and I saw a tall black marble pyramid with the names of all the soldiers who died, and the names that were in gold meant they had earned the Medal of Honor. I had found a bunker underneath the ground that the Nazis used. I also found ladybugs and put them on a white flower. I told my mom that because ladybugs represent good luck and white flowers are usually used when people die, both the flower and the ladybugs felt like a nice way to honoro all the brave soldiers who died.
The next day, my family and I went to the cemetery where all the D-Day soldiers that sacrificed their lives were buried. The setting of the cemetery was so beautiful and calming, the perfect place for all of the soldiers to be buried. All of the grave stones were perfectly aligned in lines, sections, and rows. The sight of so many grave stones made me feel very sad, thinking about how many families lost their special family members during this war.
Emilio's reflections:
After going to Disneyland, we went to a place that put us in the complete opposite mood: Omaha Beach in Normandy. We drove from Paris to the most northern part of France to Omaha Beach to visit museums, ruins, and other D-day memorials.
On our first day, June 25, my dad's birthday, we went to the Overlord Museum near the beach. The museum had realistic war sounds, cool visuals, and even original relics from the battle, like weapons, tanks, and other memorabilia. They even had realistic mannequin soldiers. Even though it was a sad museum, it was really cool.
After that, we went to the beach where the most people died on D-Day: Omaha Beach. We drove a few minutes. It was cold, but we had to get used to it, so we brought light jackets. We walked on a path and read a few sad stones that showed maps and people who died, along with roses and other items left behind out of sympathy. We went farther down the path and explored three hidden Nazi bunkers, including the one that "Captain Miller" and his team appeared to hide behind in the movie "Saving Private Ryan," which realistically depicted this battle. At one point, I had to urgently use the bathroom while we were near one of the bunkers, so I regrettably did my business in a hidden corner in one of the bunker's rooms. Then, we went to our Airbnb in Bayeux.
The next morning, we explored the Normandy American Cemetery, which also appears in "Saving Private Ryan." We first went to the little museum where they showed a few war items and pictures, like the "Hedgehog" (picture shown below). We even saw a short movie on D-day in the theater inside the museum. After that, we went out and saw the graveyards that were lettered A - I. We saw the headstones from a distance, but for the most important ones, like two of the Medal of Honor recipients and one of a Jewish solider, marked by the Star of David instead of a cross, we were able to get closer and take photos. I left a pinecone for each important person as a form of sympathy and paying my respects.
May they R.I.P. It was very sad to be here, but it was an honor for me to visit as an American who is seeing so many problems in my home country right now. It was beautiful, too, experiencing the clean grass, trees, and mild breeze. Not exactly a fun visit, but very interesting. I loved Normandy.
