We woke up to opera music...I don't like opera music...
At 4:45 a.m. this lady started singing opera...and it got louder...and louder...and louder...and the more you pressed the STOP button, well, she kept on singing. I tried to adjust the volume...didn't make any difference, she just kept singing louder. I understand that most of the delegation was in the same boat as I was...not a great opera lover...especially at 4:45 a.m.
After about 10 minutes...seemed like 20...I guess she got tired of singing...because she just stopped. Whew!
That's the ships way of saying GET UP...
We arrived at 5:30 a.m. and disembarked about 5:45. We met our new bus driver, Bjorn, who is from the Netherlands. He'll be our coach driver for the rest of our journey. Great guy! We first had breakfast at the terminal. Croissants, bread, hot cocoa or caffe...oh yeah, and butter and jam. We all kept waiting for the rest to come...
"Ah, that's a typical French breakfast!" was the reply from our delegation manager, Jeannette.
We took off in the bus and headed toward the Normandy American Cemetary, which overlooks Omaha Beach...the site of the worst D-Day battle.
We first viewed a video about D-Day...then wandered into the cemetary where there are over 9000 white crosses perfectly aligned...overwhelming! Most of us walked a good ways down a trail, downhill, to the beach below. Many were lost in their thoughts...I know I was. When we came back up, we walked around for awhile and Steve had brought little American flags. We put these by some of the crosses. 
We then drove into the town and met the mayor of Saint Laurent-sur-Mer. They had drawn a line in the sand where we stood, facing the beach. Then she spoke to us of the respect, the honor, the deep thanks they feel for us as Americans, for the part we played on that day. After she spoke, an 81 year old gentleman who was 15 on that dreaded day talked to us. His home faced the beach...and he remembers so well the day he looked out and saw the Americans coming toward shore. He and his family fled 4 miles inland, but he gave such a heartfelt thanks and told us of how special Americans are to him...I cannot remember the words...I heard them through tears. At that point, we had 16 students (2 to a flag) go stand next to the 8 flags which were tied down. One by one, each countries national anthem was played and our students raised that countries flags. It was so extremely moving...so emotional for many.
When this part of the ceremony was concluded, they had prepared and gave us each a little bottle with Normandy, Omaho Beach labeled on...and at that point, we went down on the beach and collected a bottle of sand to take home.
As we were wrapping up, the gentleman who financed the memorial on Omaha Beach was there. Jean-Paul and Rosie...(can't remember their last name right now)...they came up and talked with me, knowing that my father had been there on D-Day...Karen's, one of our other leaders, father was also there during that time. We had our photos made together...it was special!
After a typical French box lunch while sitting on a wall facing the ocean, we took off for Caen. There we went to the Memorial Museum. This phenomenal museum covers the causes of the 1939-1945 conflict and its multiple consequences.
After our D-Day experiences...we were off to Paris! A 3 hour bus ride and here we are...
No comments:
Post a Comment