Meeker Moments: Europe 2017--Normandy, France Part 1

Chris's company has been involved in the Normandy, D-Day celebrations for the past 5 years. This year, I finally decided to tag along! We also took Carlie with us as she is about to enter her senior year of high school. So this was her senior/birthday present this year:)

I was in these countries 24 years ago--I toured for a month when I was 16 playing oboe in a traveling orchestra. I remembered LOVING England mostly because I understood the language. But this trip changed my mind. I absolutely LOVED the French country side way more than any part of England. There's just something so quaint and untouched about the Normandy area of France that just stole my heart. I would rather learn French and live in the Normandy area than learn to drive on the wrong side of the road and speak English:) But both countries were great and I did so many new things that I had never done before. We ran ourselves ragged every day we were there--some days we walked over 10 miles:) But we did everything we set out to do!

Ready for our 10 hour flight out of SLC!

Bayeux:

Notre Dame Cathedral in Bayeux
Built 1077

I love old organs

Pointe du Hoc:

These beach front was quite spectacular for several reasons. The Germans had a major stronghold here at this location that could wreak havoc on Utah and Omaha Beaches. I can't even imagine those young men 73 years ago mounting an attack on this location. Not only did they brave cold water/possible drowning, they had to first scale these massive cliffs and then have enough energy to fight once they reached the top. The beach has been left in it's original condition after the war. Huge holes cover the ground--from cannon ball explosions. The beach is grown over but you can still see the bunkers left by the defeated Germans.

Sheep/Goats graze here now

Huge craters left

Old German bunkers

Pointe Du Hoc Ranger Monument

Names of the fallen US Rangers

Sainte-Mère-Eglise:

This was the first village in France liberated by the US Army on D-Day (June 6, 1944). Private John M. Steele was an American paratrooper who landed on the pinnacle of the church tower here. He was one of the few non-casualites as the paratroopers were easy targets for the Germans. When his parachute caught on the pinnacle, he hung there for over 2 hours pretending to be dead before he was discovered by the Germans and taken prisoner--he later escaped and went on to fight again. The town has left this monument in memory of him (you can see the mannequin still hanging on the pinnacle).

The people of this town absolutely LOVE the Americans. Everywhere there were people dressed up in US Army uniforms driving all these vehicles around--apparently the Americans left all their military vehicles in France after WWII. Maybe cheaper than bringing them home? Whatever the reason, these vehicles are kept in tip-top shape!

This couple actually travel around dressed up like people from the 1940s and they dance and most importantly re-enact the famous coming home kissing scene as seen in the second pic. Fun job!

Historical Programs brought out several different choirs/bands/ROTC groups. One of the bands was the City of Fairfax Community band in which Newt Gingrich's wife plays french horn. So he was just there in support of her:) ALL the Americans there were star-struck to say the least. And yes, even Carlie and I jumped in and snagged a pic. I'm not super political but I knew my dad would enjoy this pic:

Carlie was way more excited to meet this dog
than she was to meet Gingrich. But it is
her favorite dog--Burmese Mountain Dog.

Parade time!!! We sat here at this hotel to watch the parade.

These High School ROTC kids were like celebrities
in France. People were constantly asking
for pictures of these American kids in uniforms
and they even signed a few autographs!

One Voice Children's Choir from UT

Bel Aire Maching band from Georgia.

On our way out of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, we stopped at this German cemetery. Now once again, I don't consider myself very political or opinionated about historical events but I thought it was REALLY cool of France to have this beautiful cemetery for the German soldiers who fell during the war. I've heard recently of Civil Rights leaders in the US working to have Confederate monuments taken down. No matter what side you are on, ALL these fallen soldiers were someone's son, father, dear friend, etc. They were all fighting for what they believed in--right or wrong, they deserve to be remembered. So come on America! If France can do this, we should too!