A Taste of America in France

After an exhausting trip on the overnight ferry from London to France, we stepped off of the boat and onto the bus for another long day of touring in the Normandy region of France. Although we toured many interesting museums today, and saw many historical sites, I found myself the most intrigued with the American Cemetery. This cemetery was first established by the U.S. First Army in June 1944, and is the first American cemetery on European grounds in World War II.  I learned all of this information as I walked up to the cemetery with our group, and was about to learn much more.

 

When we first entered the gate to the cemetery I was speechless. The beauty that lay in front of me was indescribable. Everything was so perfect and proper. The flowers that lined the walkways were astonishing, and I noticed the greenest grass I have ever encountered in my life. As I took my eyes away from the garden, I look alongside the walls of the cemetery to see names lined up across the whole cemetery. This was called the Wall of the Missing, and all the names that were lined up across the wall were names of soldiers who were lost during the war. During this time period there was no DNA testing available, which explained the amount of unidentified bodies. Inscribed on these walls was nearly 1, 557 names. Next to some names you would find rosettes, and these rosettes would mark those who have been found and identified. Once we made our way past the semicircular garden on the east end of the memorial, we made our way to the other end of the memorial.

 

On this end of the memorial we all learned much more information. As we looked out into the grounds of the cemetery, I found myself looking at a pool of water, surrounding by miles and miles of grass that held many tombstones. For a moment I felt like I was in Washington D.C. standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and looking out vastly into the distance. I also made a comparison between the American Cemetery and Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. because I found multiple similarities. As I further continued my journey onto the grounds of the cemetery I saw many tombs lying in the distance. There were nearly 9,000 tombs in this cemetery and the tombs were either a Latin cross, or the Star of David. The soldiers that died had lost their lives during the D-Day landings as well as other operations. The Star of David tombs represented those in the war who declared themselves Jews. This took courage during that time period because these soldiers wore dog tags that declared on them they were Jews, and not many people had the courage to do that back then.

 

Overall, the experience I endured at the American Cemetery is one I will forever remember. This place portrays so much history and excels in a beautiful aspect. This is one of the highlights of my trip to Europe because of all of the information I learned and the calming atmosphere I walked into. I am glad that the U.S. First Army took the opportunity to commemorate all of the soldiers whom lost their lives in a battle to fight for the freedom of our country.