Before visiting Normandy, I assumed it would be one of those places I would appreciate more than enjoy.
A heavy, history-filled, important but depressing day.
And if I had gone on my own, that's exactly what I would have taken away from it. A beach. Some bunkers. A vague sense that something important happened here. A feeling of tragedy.
But Normandy isn't really about isn't just about those whom we lost in the fight,but more the legacy of what they were fighting for.
It's about courage in the face of impossible odds.
It's about the Rangers who scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc under enemy fire.
It's about impossible missions that somehow succeeded.
And it's about ordinary young men who found themselves in extraordinarycircumstances.
What surprised me most wasn't what I saw. It was how quickly the stories turned names, places, and monuments into real people.
By the time I reached the American Cemetery at the end of the day, I realized the guide hadn't just shown me Normandy.
He'd introduced me to the people who made it matter.
And that's what made the experience unforgettable.
Cheers,
|
