Normandy - Bed #9

Normandy
(by Rick)

Historical Preamble

Ever since I was a boy I’ve always been intrigued by World War II.  Admittedly, it is an odd topic for a Mennonite who believes in non-violence to be interested in.  Perhaps it’s because the events of those years from 1939-1945 greatly impacted my Dad and his family who were living in Poland at the time of the Nazi invasion. As a boy, hearing my Dad’s stories of the war fascinated me since it was so different from the life I led. It also gave me context for the larger conflict; so, anytime a World War II documentary would be on television I would pay close attention. Visiting Normandy felt like entering those black and white films.  

The area of Normandy, in Northern France, is famous for its beautiful coastal beaches and inland agricultural production.  Green rolling hills are broken into sections by hedgerows dotted with grazing cows while other fields are covered with yellow Canola in full bloom.  It’s a beautiful pastoral picture of peace and serenity.  70 years ago it was quite a different story.  France was invaded by Nazi Germany in May 1940.  Hitler would spend the next 4 years building up a series of fortifications off the coast of France known as the Atlantic Wall to prevent an Allied retaliation.  The Allied forces consisting of Great Britain, the U.S and Canada chose a weak point in the fortification off the coast of Normandy from which to launch their attack.  The slightly less defended beaches of Normandy were divided into 5 zones, given code names and assigned to different countries. Omaha & Utah were assigned to the Americans, Gold & Sword to the British and Juno to the Canadians (a coincidence that our dog bears the same name).  On June 6, 1944 the beaches of Normandy became the scene for the Allied landing on Nazi occupied France known as D-Day. 

A wall of earth covered with grass known as a "Hedge Row" keep cows in their pasture with the help of barbed wire.

Canola in full bloom.

Our "gite" or cottage (on the left) for 4 nights in the Normandy countryside.

Day 1

On our first day in the area we visited the Caen Memorial, the largest of many museums in Normandy.  The exhibition does an effective job of telling the whole story arc of World War II beginning with its causes, describing the various theaters of the war and then concluding with the post-war years. Pictures, videos, artifacts, models and stories helped to bring the conflict to life and helped us to understand the hardship and pain of so many people.  Our heads were spinning by the end of the day with all of the information and coming to grips with the incredible loss of human life.  The holocaust section was particularly hard to fathom leading to questions as a family on how humans could let this happen.  It was a good place to start for our family giving context for the things we would tour in the days to come.  It also opened our girls' eyes to a messy part of recent history that they new little about. 

Artwork outside the Caen Memorial

Normandy Beach display inside the D-Day exhibition.

Re-creation of a bombed out building telling the story of the hardships faced by civilians during the war.

Day 2

On our second day we drove to Omaha Beach where the Americans landed.  This area saw the highest casualties in all of the D-Day landings.  The movie Saving Private Ryan is set at this location in its opening scenes.  We walked on the beach and also toured the American Cemetery; giving you a sense for the number of fallen soldiers as you walk past some 10,000 crosses and 140 Stars of David.

American cemetery at Omaha Beach.

Ruins of a Nazi fortification on Omaha Beach along the Atlantic Wall.

Taking time to read one of the 10,000 names.

We then drove to the Canadian landing site at Juno Beach in Couseulles-sur-Mer.  Just off the sea front is the Juno Beach Centre, the only Canadian museum in Lower Normandy.  Opened in 2003, it’s staffed by 4 Canadian University students who were very eager to tell the story of the Canadian landing. We were just glad they spoke English and knew where we came from. After being away from Canada for almost 2 months, it was almost like coming home.  One of the guides gave a tour of a German fortification that included a concrete bunker and system of underground tunnels. The tour culminates on the beach where the Canadians landed.  Our tour guide mentioned that this part of the tour can be challenging in the summer months when the beach is full of sun bathers that see swim wear as optional. She said she has to work hard to collect the group’s eyes. After the tour we viewed the museum that tells the story of Canada’s involvement in the Second World War and contains an exhibit about Canada as it is today.

Inside the Nazi tunnel network at Juno Beach.

Memorial of a landing boat the leads you onto Juno Beach.

Juno Beach as it looks today.

On our last day in Normandy we had hoped to drive to Mont St. Michael to see the Monastery, but being so captivated by the WW II history in the area we decided to spend it in Normandy visiting the Canadian Cemetery near Beny-Reviers.  It is very understated with little fanfare as you approach it.  Located inconspicuously in a farmers’ field surrounded by beautiful yellow canola we almost drove past it. We learned that unlike the American cemetery that buried all their dead in one area and gave families the option of bringing bodies back to America, the Canadians had no choice but to be buried near to where they fell. This particular cemetery had 2,000 headstones and somehow knowing that the actual bodies were in every grave gave it a different feel.  To see the ages of many of the men or rather boys also gave us reason to pause.  The MCC phrase “To remember is to work for peace” runs through my head.  

Canadian Cemetery with Canola fields in the distance.

We then got in the car and headed towards Arromanches to see the remains of a temporary port that was created after the landings to enable equipment, supplies and personnel to flow into Euroupe.  Huge “Phoenix blocks” weighing 600 tons that acted as the breakwater still stand out in the water, while only a few pieces of pontoons that formed the temporary port are marooned on the beach.  We concluded our time by going to a theatre  where we watched a 360 degree movie that surrounds you with original video footage from the D-Day landings.  

Remains of the artificial harbor near Arromanche

A larger section of the floating dock now marooned on the beach.

6000 ton "Phoenix Blocks" that acted as the breakwater for the artificial harbor can still be seen off the coast.

Our time in Normandy could be best described as one of mixed feelings. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the area and were intrigued to see history so well preserved, you couldn't ignore the unease of how terrible this time was for everyone involved. Young men were called upon to perform terrible acts of killing in the name of freedom only for the survivors to be haunted by the images of death for the rest of their lives. Thousands of civilians were either killed or displaced from their homes while French Jews were rounded up during the 4 year Nazi occupation and sent to concentration camps to be gassed or worked to death. The level of violence, hopelessness, helplessness, fear, hatred, and anger is difficult to digest. God's heart must have broke a million times to see the world in such chaos. Where was love in all of this that the world could be thrown into such disarray?  I'm still glad we learned about these events for it's important to the know the past to help guide the present and the future. It instilled a thankfulness for the peace we experience in Canada but also a reminder that other parts of the world are experiencing the same horrors of war and discrimination. Remembrance Day will take on a different meaning for me next November 11 and perhaps lead me to pray more fervently for Peace and to find ways to live this out in my life.