Remembering D-Day

It's that time of year again, the anniversary of the débarquement of Normandy, and this year just happens to be the 65th. Rumor has it Obama is going to make a cameo on the beaches and the American Cemetery tomorrow, and while I will not be there to welcome him, my Dad and I did get a chance to visit a few weeks ago. We took the train from Paris up to Caen, where we rented a car and drove to various points of interest. We began with the Memorial Museum in Caen which was filled with a chronological history of the war, collected photographs, and assorted objects like letters, press announcements and soldier's uniforms. (Very informative, although a bit expensive.) We then drove to Omaha Beach, where we roamed the shores and had ourselves a picnic while we watched the waves roll in. The American Cemetery was the last stop of our trip, where there is quite an impressive museum (which is free to the public along with the cemetery) and of course the overwhelming effect of looking out at all of the white crosses, lined up one after the other as far as the eye can see. It was both an educational and moving journey, that really made me appreciate our shared history with France (and the rest of Europe of course) and the fact that I have not had to live through a war like that. So tomorrow while Obma is honoring the memory of this important historical event, I will be too, especially the fact that it has passed.