| Page Views: 7,186 Last Visit to Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer: January, 2004 | Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial by ExGuyParis - last update: Mar 18, 2004 |
All the Dead Young Men | The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves |
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Colleville-sur-Mere, about 18 km northwest of Bayeux and just east of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mere. It is the resting place of 9,387 Americans killed in the D-Day invasion of Normandy which began on June 6, 1944. This 173 acre cemetery was given to the US by France for permanent use, free of charge or taxation. It is a paradoxical place; incredibly beautiful and peaceful, yet a chilling reminder of the horrors and violence of war. As you walk by the crosses and Stars of David, and look at the names inscribed on each, you realize that each is a marker of a shattered life, of a distressed family, of an opportunity lost. The cemetery is open from April 16 to September 30, 8h00 to 18h00 daily. In the winter (October 1 through April 15), the hours are 8h00 to 17h00 daily. |
|  | In the Graveyard Bloomed Winter roses grace the graves. It was an an incredibly chilly day, and it had rained earlier in the morning... but the sun burst throught the clouds and illuminated a brilliant winter day. |
The Memorial This Memorial hosts the bronze statue "The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves," sculpted by Donald De Lue (an American from New Jersey). On the two side walls, mosaic battle plans illustrate the scope of the Normandy invasion. Behind the Memorial, you can visit "The Garden of the Missing." Here are engraved the names of 1,557 additional military personnel whose remains were never recovered or positively identified. |  | |
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Comments for ExGuyParis about Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer | | | | |
Nemorino Sun Jul 6, 2008 20:26 UTC You're so right that it's overwhelming to imagine the individual story of each young man and what he went through, and then all the bereaved parents, wives, children. . . | Mikebond Thu Dec 8, 2005 14:41 UTC Belle page. J'ai visité, moi aussi, le cimetière de Colleville-sur-Mer et les lieux du débarquement. | BarryAir Tue Oct 25, 2005 15:19 UTC Great page you have here! I will visit in November. Why? I just feel compelled to, and beleive everyone should have to go and see a true result of wars. Barry in Louisiana | Hexepatty Fri Aug 5, 2005 04:33 UTC Visited the D-Day Museum in New Orleans recently. The oral histories by men there was chilling and surreal. Seeing your photos brought back the reality. |
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