A Memorial Day to Remember

Monday May 31
Day 33

Monday was a bittersweet day. I woke up around 6:30am and gathered my things together that I had packed a few hours before. After checking to make sure I had all my things I grabbed a quick bite to eat (yogurt with granola), Christian put my bags in the car, we took a picture (they looked very French as they didn’t really smile--it was more of a strained look like they were fighting not to smile or show emotion) and then Christian drove Marissa and I to the Super U in Vesinet to meet the coach bus. We were a few minutes early (and the bus was about twenty minutes late) so we waited in the car for a little while. I was proud of myself because I made an effort to talk a little more with Christian before we left. I did a pretty good job too I think, although he did have to correct me on a few small points (ex: To say ‘There wasn’t enough room in the suitcase’ You would say “Il n’y avait pas assez de place dans la valise/le bagage’...I had said espace or something, which I knew was wrong but I didn’t know what the correct term was). After a few minutes a small group of us had arrived to wait so we decided to get out so Christian wouldn’t have to sit with us. So we said goodbye, gave our bisoux and he left. I figured out the other day though why I liked him and Frederique so much. Its because Frederique reminded me of Coco (in looks and a little bit in personality) and Christian reminded me of Papere (mostly in looks although occasionally in his personality--I think he talks more than Papere).

Ma Famille d'accueil

The bus finally came at about 8:35 I think and from there we left for the town of Bayeux, which is home to the famous Bayeux tapestry. In actuality it is not a tapestry at all but a very very long embroidered cloth (a tapestry has continuity of construction--its all woven together, not embroidered on top). The town of Bayeux was very cute and the tapestry was pretty interesting. I liked it because it was exciting to see something that I had learned about in my French classes, and even Humanities and History classes, over the past several years--and there it was right in front of me! It is enormous--at least in length. And the audio guide was pretty decent--it went through each scene of the “tapestry” in sequential order so we walked from beginning to end. Some of the information was actually really interesting and it was cool to observe some of the subtle details and artistic liberties that were included into it. The tapestry tells the story of the Battle of Hastings when William, King of Normandy (who would be known as William the Conqueror because of this event), battled King Harold of England. As his name would suggest, William came out conqueror and thus became king of England and Normandy. The tapestry itself is especially important because it is one of the only examples of art that depicts a real event near the time that it occurred, and is a realistic representation of many of the cultural aspects of society at the time, including a view into the architecture and dress of the period.

We had fun with the museum displays

The rest of the museum didn’t have much of interest in it--I amused myself by taking goofy pictures with Betsy (I know, real mature). After going through the museum and getting a couple souvenirs from the gift shop we went down the street and got a bite to eat in a little shop by the church. Unfortunately by the time everyone had finished eating it was time to get back on the bus so I didn’t get to go in and see the church, but I’m not too heartbroken because I’ve seen a lot of churches in the past few weeks. So, we headed back to the bus and drove a little ways to Omaha Beach in Normandy, which is recognized by the French government as official U.S. territory (ahh, so good to be back on American soil), to see the battleground and memorial.

It was a perfect Memorial Day.

I went through the visitors’ center first, which gave individual stories of soldiers who fought at Normandy, as well as an impressive history and background of the battle and the consequences. There was a really good film that gave a beautiful tribute to the men who fought and died there and as you walked through the next room a woman’s voice can be heard listing off the names of all the fallen heroes of Normandy. It was an incredibly beautiful and impressive memorial and I’ll admit I got surprisingly emotional.


Continuing on from the visitors’ center you walk outside and can follow the path to the beach or the cemetery and monument. I went to the beach first, where I ran into Jessica and Isabelle so I walked with them (I had gone through the memorial alone). The beach is beautiful and it reminded me of home. It’s hard to imagine a battle being fought on its pristine sandy shores. All I could think of while I was there was the movie Saving Private Ryan, and the initial battle scene when the boats approach the beach. So much chaos, carnage and death occurred in such a small amount of time and yet, today there is little left to indicate that anything so horrible ever happened here.

After spending a little time on the beach and taking a few pictures (I waved to New Hampshire from the opposite end of the Atlantic!)

Bonjour East Coast!

I headed back up the hill towards the cemetery. The cemetery was immense. The lines of white gravestones continue on and on standing out against the rich green grass and scattered trees. There are so many that the graves are organized into sections according to alphabetical order. I think what was most impressive to me was the fact that so many of these men were boys my age. I had always thought of soldiers as being older than me, but in reality this battle was fought and paid for with the lives of thousands of young boys, many still teenagers. This really touched me and I reacted in a way that surprised me. When I go to memorials or see or talk about sad events, I usually feel pretty solemn and grateful. However, although I felt both solemn and grateful, I was especially angry. Anger wasn’t something I was expecting to feel here. It just frustrates me and truly angers me that so many people had to die, and this was only one battle, in war. It makes everything seem so pointless. Why did the world go to war? Why can’t people see how stupid it is and do more to avoid it? War makes no sense. All I know is that I’m so grateful that these brave young men had the courage to do what was necessary to ensure the freedom of not only their countrymen, but that of the French and the rest of Europe. Their belief and commitment to so great a cause gives me so much respect for them and I am honored that I can live in a country that raised such valiant men.



In the middle of the cemetery there is a small memorial chapel erected in honor of the fallen sons of America. There is a nice dedicatory memorial on the side, both in French and English. Surprisingly I liked the French version better--somehow it seemed more eloquent and fitting. I’ll write both versions here:

Cette chapelle a ete elevee par les Etats Unis d’Amerique en souvenir reconnaissant de leurs fils qui tomberent au cours des debarquements sur les plages de la Normandie et pendant la liberation de la France septentrionale
***
Leurs tombes sont le symbole eternel de leur heroisme et de leur sacrifice a la cause commune de l’humanite

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This chapel has been erected by the United States of America in grateful memory of her sons who gave their lives in the landings on the Normandy beaches and in the liberation of Northern France.
***
Their graves are the permanent and visible symbol of their heroic devotion and their sacrifice in the common cause of humanity.

We spent about two hours at Omaha Beach and then took the bus another ten minutes away to Pointe du Hoc, which is another battle site that has been left unchanged and preserved since World War II. We were able to see the original foxholes and bunkers and had some fun taking pictures inside some of the "secret holes and passageways." Unfortunately we only had about twenty minutes there so I couldn't see all of it, but it was cool to walk around it briefly.

We left Pointe du Hoc for dinner in Saint Lo where we had a first course of salad that came with a kind of French hotpocket that was filled with cheese and spinach and I think tuna or shrimp. It was really tasty. Better than the main course which was pork in sweet rum sauce, with a cooked tomato (that was pretty good--I ate mine and two others!) and fries. The pork was good, but it was still on the bone and it looked a little bit like a heart so most of the girls were freaked out by it. I liked it but the rum sauce was really sweet so it was hard to finish such a rich dish. For dessert we had a weird apple quiche thing. It was definitely egg, so it was like a quiche but topped with baked apples, so it was a mixture between a quiche and a slice of apple pie. It was pretty good, but not my favorite. And I felt really sick after dinner because I ate so much. The other girls felt sick too, but that was because they were grossed out by the pork. Pansies.

The main dish of pork, tomato and fries in rum sauce

SIDE NOTE:

While at the Normandy Memorial, on our way out we passed some restrooms and decided to make a quick pit stop before continuing on the bus trip. As we turn the corner to enter the doorway lo and behold we see the most amazing site ever! Yes, not one, but two, drinking fountains!!!! Please take a moment to appreciate this victory. France does not have drinking fountains anywhere, or bathrooms for that matter, and here we find both! Indeed we were on U.S. territory. Ahh, it felt good to be home!

Note the pure, unadultered joy