My wife and I stood on the shore at Omaha Beach, the site of the most brutal fighting during the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day. As waves swept across the sand, I pictured in my mind how these waters ran red with blood on June 6, 1944.
On that pivotal day in world history, 4,000 Allied troops were killed in the assault on five beaches across a 50-mile stretch of coastline. On Omaha Beach, the U.S. suffered 3,600 casualties with an estimated 770 killed, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The first units to land on Omaha suffered the heaviest casualties, with over 90% of troops killed or wounded – earning this beach the nickname “Bloody Omaha.”
This hallowed place was high on our list of reasons for wanting to travel to Normandy. After Bonnie and I walked up and down the shoreline, we sat quietly on some rocks and let the magnitude of the historic location wash over us.
A short distance to the west, we visited Pointe du Hoc, another crucial D-Day site. Pointe du Hoc is a 100-foot cliff that juts out between Omaha and Utah beaches. The Germans had stationed several long-range artillery guns atop the cliff, providing an ideal vantage point for firing at incoming ships and at Allied troops storming the beaches.
To take out the big German guns, a group of 225 U.S. Rangers scaled the cliff in a daring early morning attack. The Rangers were under enemy fire during the 30-minute climb, but they made it to the top and accomplished their mission – saving an untold number of Allied lives below.
Of the 225 Rangers who scaled the cliff, 58 were wounded and 77 were killed in the initial invasion and during the two days of fierce German counterattacks that followed. With victory came a cost. And this brings us to the most emotional part of our D-Day experience.
The American soldiers who lost their lives in the battles for Normandy are laid to rest at the Normandy American Cemetery. Located just a few miles from Omaha Beach, the 172.5-acre cemetery contains the graves of 9,387 American War Dead, most of whom died during the landings and subsequent operations.
I've seen pictures of the Normandy American Cemetery over the years, but I have to tell you – I was totally unprepared for the overwhelming impact it had on me when visiting it in person. After a long, tranquil walk through a park-like setting, Bonnie and I turned a corner and saw an unforgettable scene: a long reflecting pool leading to a distant sea of white crosses and Stars of David, stretching out in all directions.
Knowing that each of these graves represented a life given selflessly and lost far too early, I let out a loud gasp. I bent forward as the wind was sucked from me, and I struggled to control the choking sounds from my throat as it constricted into a tight knot.
That’s how emotional it was.
To all of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives and all who fought in the battles that turned the tide of the Second World War, I gratefully and sincerely say: Thank you.