October 2024
Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
One of my most cherished bucket list items has been a goal for as long as I can remember. In October 2024, that goal was accomplished. It was a gray day in keeping with my somber tone as we stepped off the tour bus and made our way to the cemetery.
Situated on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, the cemetery honors American troops who died in Europe during World War II. The drive from our first stop at the Omaha Beach Memorial was short. Our first views were of hedges that surround the cemetery, but a short walk brought us to the memorials.
Our first stop was a semicircular colonnade. Our tour guide explained that the bronze statue at the center of the colonnade is called the “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.”
Near the colonnade are maps designed to be integral to the memorial’s function of educating visitors about the D-Day landings and the broader context of World War II. The maps are accompanied by engraved text on the walls, providing a narrative of the military operations in Western Europe from June 6, 1944, to May 8, 1945. They helped me understand the strategic importance of the Normandy landings.
The formal gardens are part of the cemetery’s overall landscape design, contributing to its serene and respectful atmosphere. Visitors can see that the memorial is meticulously maintained and landscaped, reflecting the honor and dignity accorded to those buried there.
Behind the reflecting pool is a small circular chapel. It’s designed to be a non-denominational space, honoring the diverse religious backgrounds of the soldiers buried there. Though many of the markers indicate Christians buried there, appropriate markers are provided for soldiers of many different faiths.
Situated on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, the cemetery covers 172.5 acres. It contains the graves of 9,388 American military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and subsequent operations.
A short walk from the cemetery proper, a viewpoint overlooks Omaha Beach. The viewpoint reminds us of the immense sacrifices made by those who fought and died on those fateful days.
Only one person was on the beach when I captured this photograph of Omaha Beach. Though the horse and rider appear to be standing on the beach in the photo, the rider was exercising her horse at a decent gallop. She zigzagged back and forth along the beach while I was standing there.
As I stood overlooking the bluff, I began to visualize the chaos and heroism of D-Day. I imagined the landing craft approaching the shore, the soldiers wading through the surf, and the fierce fighting underway. The view was, for me, a powerful memorial, connecting the physical space of the cemetery with the events that unfolded on the beach below so many years ago.
Though I was not yet born, I could imagine the activities on the beach through newsreel documentaries and popular movies that tell the war stories in Europe. I remembered scenes from “The Longest Day,” an epic film released in 1962. One of my favorite World War II films, the movie is praised for its historical accuracy and is considered among the most realistic of the genre.
Soon, it was time to board our tour bus to continue our tour of Normandy. In future posts, we will visit one of the British beachheads and a museum dedicated to Operation Overlord and the D-Day Invasion. All photos in this post are also shared via my Flickr site in 2K HD. You can visit that gallery here.
Next week’s Travel Tuesday episode features our visit to Gold Beach and Arromanches-Les-Bains. We focus on Mulberry Harbor B and its pivotal role in offloading allied war materials for ten months after D-Day.
John Steiner
Journeys with Johnbo 
The image alone is quite humbling. Their sacrifice was astounding!
Indeed, GP! The cemetery was so moving.
What a beautiful tribute for our soldiers, and thanks for bringing it to us John!
This has long been a bucket-list stop to pay my respects.
You’ve captured the beautiful yet sombre atmosphere of this place very well. I was very interested to see how similar it is to the US war cemetery we visited in Manila, right down to the design of the maps on the walls (though of course there the maps were of various battles in the Pacific). That view of the beach, and your reflections on it, are very moving.
Thanks, Sarah! I never thought there might be a similar memorial cemetery in the Pacific. I’d never heard of it.
I’ve shared a couple of photos in recent posts but not devoted a whole post to it, though I may do so in the future I guess
Thanks for taking us there, John.
Impressive and important insights and a beautiful tribute to the fallen soldiers, John! Thanks for sharing.
It was a very moving experience!
Very poignant post John, I’ve been to all the beaches, Omaha was buzzing with holidaymakers and sunbathers and kids building sandcastles. Which is as it should be really, as it was for these very things, the ability to live free and enjoy life that those thousands died for on those very beaches.
You make a good point, Jim. On the day of our visit, it was chilly so there were no swimmers or sunbathers.