WWII
First stop, the La Cambe German Military Cemetery
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| I'd honestly never given much thought about what happened to the German soldiers who died in France. |
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| This cemetery is sombre and humble. |
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| It's not large, or grand, but it makes you feel the loss. |
Second Stop, Sainte Mere Eglise and the 82nd Airborne Museum.
One of the first towns liberated in France.
A replica of the paratrooper whose shoot caught on the church.
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| The people of the town are forever grateful for their rescue. |
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| I just felt really bad for this guy. |
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| Lincoln was loving this vacation already! |
I took this picture and paid it no mind for a year and a half. This sculpture is phenomenal.
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| Roads are named for soldiers. Each has a marker. |
Third stop, Utah Beach.
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| Our traveling buddies: Flat Stanley and Lincoln's bear whose name I can't remember. |
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| To the left. |
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| Center |
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| To the right. |
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| Christopher Robin and Pooh Bear. |
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| A beautiful bush...and a meter. |
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| I haven't seen the bear since the trip, but he was an excellent traveling companion. Lincoln didn't complain at all. |
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| Get out of here bear! I've got a gun to shoot! |
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The kilometer markers of Liberty Road. Starting at Utah beach and continuing on for 1,146 kilometeres.
Fourth Stop, Pointe Du Hoc. |
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| A monument to the Rangers. |
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| Bombing runs make for interesting landscape. |
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| And these were no small bombs. |
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| Small child added for scale. |
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| Housing for German "guns". I feel like gun undermines the size of the weapon, might hurt it's feelings. |
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| The most confusing duo of signs that I've ever seen. |
Fifth stop, Normandy American Cemetery.
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| This cemetery is the opposite of the German one that we visited. The American cemetery is bright, and strong, like the soldiers buried here I would guess. |
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| Going in for the jump serve. |
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| The cemetery continues to grow as soldiers bodies continue to be found. |
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| When families visit they bring sand from the beach to rub into the engraving. |
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| A chapel at the centre of the property. |
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| Inside the chapel. Left side. |
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| Ceiling. |
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| Right side. |
Sixth stop, Omaha beach.
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| The way the locals take their boats out. |
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| A look to the right. |
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| And a look to the left. |
The kids took advantage of the low tide and explored the beach until our tour group was miffed. When you say we get as much time as we like we are going to take it.
