I was on a trip on our HD Heritage Classic from Holland to visit the Normandy beaches Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Arromanches, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach. The beaches where thousands of US soldiers died in the invasion at June 6 1944 to liberate Europe from the **** Germany. The memorials were impressive, the artificial harbour Arromanches was clearly visible and we followed the tracks of the beached soldiers. Including the tracks of their thousands of Harleys, used at the battlefronts as courier motos. Crumbling through the mud, sand and rains, carrying soldiers with their combat equipment. Heavy weighted, not so sophisticated as the light weight clothes as we have now. I got a deep, very deep respect for the guys, fallen for our freedom. Suffering the mud, sands and bullets. The times were frozen, this last week at the Normandy Beaches of Honour...Only several minutes of silence is the right answer..

 

Thank you for telling us of your trip.
Rob

 

I've been there myself. I can't imagine what it must have been like running across the beaches whilst being shot at.

At Point Du Hoc, you can go in to the concrete bunkers built by the Germans. Apparently the German soldiers where locked in them and told to fight until you die, which of course most of them ultimately did. The ground around these was clearly showing the effects of being bombed from the air and sea.

Afterwards I visited the cemetaries of both the American and German soldiers in Normandy and seeing the thousands of graves was quite emotional. The massive scale especially of the American cemetary kind of puts the loss of life into perspective. It was wonderful to see how immaculate it was. Clearly after all these years there is still a mighty respect for these brave soldiers who lost their lives.

If anyone ever goes to Northern France, I would recommend visiting these sights, as well as the musuem at Caen.

 

it has been said many times "Freedom isn't Free"

 

I have traveled all over the world and it was hard to hold back the emotions at the museum in Caen. I would love to go on a motorcycle trip to Caen.

 

There's a reason that they call them the greatest generation. We whine and complain now if we're somewhere without cell coverage and these guys left home to fight a brutal enemy with less than ideal technology. They were cut off except for letters, which sometimes took months to get to them. After years of brutal fighting in North Africa and Italy (not to mention the knock-down battles in the Pacific) they were told they were going to invade France. And they did, and they were successful despite a whole lot of things not going right.

It sounds like a pretty awesome trip, thanks for sharing.

 

my father did the ivasion of d-day he is still living he is 85 he was in the 29th divsion

 

Did you take any photos?

Because....

 

My dad went in a few weeks after d-day at scherbourg. Not sure how it is spelled. He was seriously wounded in France near German border. 6 months in hospital. His unit was wiped out in battle of bulge a few weeks later. I was this close to never being here. Those guys saved our ***. He wouldn't talk about it until a few weeks before his death.

 

i went to germany last dec, and looking at the camps and prisons very emocional went on into france same thing one thing i will say i was quite impressed at how well the french keep the cemetery looking clean and respectful. they came close to speaking german. i just wish the younger generation would understand more