Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer Things to Do Tips by ExGuyParis

Remember

Private Werlie Gleason of California was killed on July 25, 1944. This past Christmas, 59 years later, someone left him a wreath decorated with Christmas ornaments and an American flag.

Directions: The guidebook for the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is available on the internet; see the link below. It is also available at the Visitors' Building at the cemetery entrance, at no charge. The version there is illustrated with color photographs.

So Many Men Lost

The front center cross marks the grave of George O. Spoerl from New Jersey. My mind was overwhelmed, as I tried to imagine the individual story of each young man. Then the mind starts to take in the scope, the number of lives, the connections cut from parents, wives, children.

Our American friend Sue told us the story of visiting this cemetery with her friend Marilyn. It was Marilyn's first visit here, and she was searching for the grave of her father, who was killed before she was born.

Melancholy, Admiration, Humility, Gratitude, Sadness, Respect, Pride,... powerful emotions are provoked here.

Viewing the Dead

As you stand at the memorial, you look out across the graveyard, and the scope of the casualty of war hits you hard. Each cross or Star of David, a man.

At the far end of the reflecting pool, you can see a memorial chapel in the distance.

On The Beach

The view of Omaha Beach from the cemetery overlook.

In Memory

As you enter the cemetery, approaching the beach, you will see the memorial and its reflecting pool. The memorial houses a 22-foot high bronze sculpture, maps of the invasion, and bronze urns.

Marking the Assault

At the overlook point, this "orientation table" maps out the amphibious assault at Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches. Directly beyond the table you can see Omaha Beach, which proved to be particularly difficult and lethal. The US 1st and 29th Divisions met intense resistance and challenge, from the Germans and from the terrain.

There are so many ghosts here... and imagining what the cemetery occupants endured here staggers the mind.

Overlooking History

As you first enter the cemetery, take this walkway to the beach. Here you will overlook Omaha Beach, where one of the bloodiest battles raged during the amphibious assault.

Gold Star

Three of the graves in the cemetery are marked with a gold star, and the engraving is highlighted in gold. It is not, as in this case, because the individual came from a famous family, but rather to indicate that the person was awarded a Medal of Honor.

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. served in the US Army during WW I and WW II. He died of a heart attack a few weeks after leading his troops onto Utah Beach.

The cross to the left of his grave marks the resting place of his brother, Quentin Roosevelt, who was killed at the age of 20 during WW I and burried in France. His body was later moved to be next to his brother.

Gold stars served as a different symbol back in the United States. Any mother who lost a son during the war was known as a "Gold Star Mother." The families of individuals killed during the war would display a gold star in a window of their home.

As described on the Gold Star Mother website, the gold star symbolizes "the honor and glory accorded the person for his supreme sacrifice in offering for his country, the last full measure of devotion and pride of the family in this sacrifice, rather than the sense of personal loss which would be represented by the mourning symbols."

http://www.goldstarmoms.com/index.htm

Website: http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biofamily.htm