Hedge by Hedge

On June 6, 1944, over 100,000 Allied troops assaulted the beaches of Normandy by air and by sea.

71 years later our family had the privilege to walk the same beaches.

 

 

 

A window in the town of St. Mere Eglise

 



It was from this church that a paratrooper named John Steele from the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, got his parachute caught on the roof of the bell tower during the D-Day invasion.

 

 



The quaint cottage we stayed in.

 



Snails.

Omaha Beach

 



Mussels and Fries

 



There was a band playing our national anthem.

 

No longer in the land of farm subsidies for corn, just sugar cane Coca-Cola in Europe.

 

"Pointe Du Hoc"

 

Snails everywhere! No wonder the French eat snails.

"Pont de Normandie"

Utah Beach

 

 

 

My husband was the lead jumpmaster for the free fall jumpers.  Here he is laid back, relaxing on the open ramp of a C-130 at 13,000 feet with the Normandy Coast in the background. (Picture taken by a fellow jumper)

He and approximately 350 other soldiers jumped into the historic St. Mere Eglise drop zone in commemoration of the American, Canadian, French, and British Soldiers who fought on D-Day.

 

 

I haven't published this post for over a month because I feel like I should write some kind of tribute to the soldiers that fought on those beaches. But the words do not come easily.

 

It was truly a special time for our family to get to visit Normandy, France. The people there, in a word, were grateful, to the United States and the other nations that were there 71 years ago.

 

 

There is always a celebration there in Normandy on the weekend of June 6. There were flags flying, parades marching, people dressed in 40s era clothing, WWII jeeps driving around, and a general spirit of celebration.

 

 

In order to give our children an idea of what D-Day is we read a book to them called, "What Was D-Day?" by Patricia Brennan Demuth.

It is a "G" rated version of D-Day. The book is well written and easy to follow along for kids. Then we walked the beaches, saw the German bunkers, and celebrated the lives of those heroes.

 

As the wife of a combat soldier, being in Normandy hit close to home for me. As I looked out across the surf of the English Channel I thought about the wives, children and families that waited at home while their soldiers went to fight this great fight at Normandy.

They fought and died, and lived, and won.

And France is free. And they are thankful.

 

General Norman "Dutch" Cota was there on D-Day. A quote from Demuth's book from General Cota, "Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches. Let us go inland and be killed."

Cota and his troops made it through enemy lines and thus inspired many to go on in the battle.

 

I am grateful for so many sacrifices.

 

The name of this post is "Hedge by Hedge."

We saw the endless rows of hedges lining many of the small town roads in France.

This is how the allied forces made their way across France. They fought for justice and freedom hedge by hedge. And I am grateful.

 

 

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Galatians6:9 ESV