Normandy~The Landing Beaches~My heart Landed and Stayed~For Veterens Day.

When we visited Normandy a few years ago we found ourselves in an exciting and diverse part of France. Every little village and town we found ourselves in was steeped in history and tradition and was utterly fascinating,

But, the place that left me the most touched and disturbed is the Normandy American Cemetery, located at Colleville-Saint-Laurent above Omaha Beach.


This monumental cemetary commemorates the heroism of all those American soldiers who came ashore or tried to back on those fateful days at the beginning of the end of the Nazi stronghold in Europe.

Covering some 173 acres, it is filled with Crosses and Stars of David made of white, gleaming marble. The remains of 9,386 American military dead are buried here on territory now owned by the United States, a gift from the French government to honor and pay tribute to those brave and unlucky thousands who gave their lives for freedom. When you are there you are virtually on American soil...It's quite strange


As I stood there looking out at the rows upon rows of graves, as far as the eye can see, my tears mingled with the slight rain that started to fall, along with the dewy mist of the sea, just off in the near distance.


How frightened and brave they all were to leave the warships on those smaller boats or fly off on planes knowing the only way down was going to be in a parachute...Where they would land nobody knew.

Not enough tribute can be given to all who fought in that most horrible of all wars.

That generation is slowly dying off now but their memory will live on throughout time as we pay homage to them all with these memorials  Let's not ever forget what they fought for.

Democracy...A government for the people! Not only for those who run the government...