Utah Beach

Since we are from Utah we made sure we visited Utah Beach as well. They had a really great old film about the war. All of these visual aids helped us learn and try to imagine what really went on. The kids enjoyed seeing uniforms, ration samples & fighter tanks and planes.

Point du Hoc

Point du Hoc has amazing bunkers and craters that the kids went crazy exploring and running through. After all of these years the holes in the ground still exist, only it’s now covered with green grass and wild flowers. Quite a beautiful picture and contrast from what it must have looked like after the war. We had to be careful where we ran for fear of twisting and ankle in a hidden trench.

The American Cemetery

The American Cemetery was a favorite. The photos and quotes that adorn the building said it all. Freedom was the goal. Those young men who fought had no idea where they were going or what they were up against, yet they gave all they had. The kids were especially interested in walking through the graveyard & reading where the soldiers came from

Omaha Beach

Visiting Normandy was a really wonderful experience. Our hotel was in a little village right next to Omaha beach. The beach in the village was completely covered with huge flat seashells. It was so cool.

First stop of the morning was the bakery for breakfast. We ate at the pier and enjoyed looking at the fishing boats then headed out for the day. The kids had all written reports about the different beaches and aspects of WWII & D-Day. We were all touched at Omaha beach as we walked along the sand and tried to imagine how difficult it must have been to forge through the waters onto land and up the hedges. Grandpa Paul Herscher was one of the lucky soldiers who survived the first wave onto Omaha Beach. We thought a great deal about the struggles he went through along with so many other soldiers. It was sobering to think that only 1 out of 9 soldiers survived that day.