Omaha Beach and Pont du Hoc (Part 3)

As I recall the trip, our journey from Omaha Beach area to Pont du Hoc actually involved a drive down just beside the beach area west of the American Cemetery. There are houses now along some of this beach area, and it appears to be a small resort (sort of). After driving the short beach front, the road curves left and up out of the beach area. With a huge metal temporary bridge (I think one of those devices they must have used to offload war materials from landing ships) alongside the road as you ascend from the beach area, it's not hard to imagine what was going on on this road 60 years ago (from the time of our 2004 visit).

We drove west along the coast road to Pont Du Hoc. There's a small unremarkable visitor center there, but what is remarkable are the ruins of Hitler's Pont du Hoc defenses. Sources say that the area was well bombed, if not blown up by other means and the deep craters throughout the area attest to this.

Pont du Hoc itself is breathtaking, particularly when you consider that U.S. Rangers ascended it under fire (gotta get a good D-Day book or see if I don't already have it in my collection--also gotta see the old movie, "The Big Red" which Chris said is a good flick of the D-Day events).

There are some fine gun emplacements and some really good concrete bunkers which pictures do better justice to. Needless to say, the effects of time are starting to take a toll on even Hitler's solid war defenses. . .I sat inside some blasted up gun emplacements and noticed the crumbling concrete. Seems like I recall they had barriers up to going into certain gun emplacements due to safety concerns.

Next stop. . .Arromanches (Part 4). . .

Omaha Beach Part 2

I waited for Chris and his dad at the overlook for Omaha Beach. While there, I met a Dutch man and his son. I believe the Dutch man was a World War II vet, from what I could pick up through his Dutch (I actually spoke some German with him and he replied in Dutch).

While waiting for Chris and his dad, I ventured up one of the well-groomed pathways going east through the cemetery and marveled at how "heavenly" it felt. What a contrast from what it must have been like 60 years before my visit!!!

When Chris and his dad reached the top, we decided to leave the cemetery and go visit a few other sites in the area. As we were leaving the parking lot on the east side, I noticed a towering monument that we had seen from the beach and asked if I could stop and look at it (Chris's dad was not up to much walking at the moment). So while they stayed in the car, I went running down the hill to the monument and took pictures of it, as well as a host of holes and bunkers--the hill was pockmarked with holes and passageways. Also got some more shots of the view east on Omaha beach (toward the other beach areas--Juno? Sword?).

Then we left the area, but not before sampling some local cuisine at a restaurant not far from the entrance to the cemetery. Next stop? Pont-du-Hoc!!!