crepes_a_go_go

Can someone tell me where in the Normandy area the best festivities will be happening for D-Day? We will be in France for a month and I have promised my WWII-obsessed 12 year old son that I will have him in the area to experience 6 June in the thick of things.

laverendrye

Here are a couple of websites which list events in Normandy. Even though 2006 is not a major anniversary, there will be many commemorations throughout Normandy.

http://www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/index.asp

http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60...eh/accueil.php

You will likely want to attend the memorial at the US Cemetery at St Laurent sur Mer.

tower

After the memorial program, take son down the stairs to the beach...walk the length of Omaha, looking up to the ridge often...this will give him a tremendous feel for D-Day. One can't help choking up and dropping a tear or two each and every time.
Stu T.

surfmom

I would recommend being in the area the day before and taking a 1-day tour. We used Victory Tours (www.victorytours.com) and they were great.

Read the "WWII in Europe" board on Rick Steves and there is some good information about tour providers.

This will allow you to scope out the area and have a better sense of all the history.

surfmom

set a wishlist in Tivo up for "Normandy" - you will get the travel shows.

One of the things they do at the American Cemetary at Colleville is to bring sand up from Omaha Beach and rub it into the engraved crosses. It makes the names easier to read. Last summer, I wished we had done this for the many unknown soldiers as a way to honor them.

cmcfong

Just want to say how marvelous it is that a 12 year old appreciates the WWII history and the sacrifices made in our defense.

kerouac

www.memorial-caen.com

Mucky

Hi,
I am also pleased that your son has such a great interest in WW2.

France is very respectful and grateful for what the allies did for their freedom from the Nazi's, subsequently the cemetries are well looked after the sites are maintained for us all to visit. I am however a little bit conscious that commercialism is creeping in as the years and generations go by. But I guess thats a small price to pay for the upkeep of assets from this momentous time in history.

When you visit Normandy you will see that many many buildings, gun batteries, sites and museums are available to see, in many cases these are just as they were left in 1944.

You will see several routes marked out with pointed signs that have a seagull sign on them.

Overlord-L'Assaut (the assault)
D-Day-Le CHOC(The onslaught)
Objectif-Un Port ( Objective a port)
L'Affrontement (The confrontation)
Cobra-La Percee (Cobra-The breakout)
La Contre-Attaque (The counter attack)
L'Encerclement (The encirclement)
Le Denouement (The outcome)

These individual routes are a fabulous way to see the sites available.
But you will need transport.
Route 1 is from Longues-Sur-Mer which has a really interesting batterie, still containing the original guns.
The batterie at Merville-Francdeville, Pegasus bridge at Ranville-Benouville, aromanches etc etc.

I have done these routes many times, unfortunately my children stayed in the car !! so I am very pleased that your son will see them.
One tip, take some good shoes some of the bunkers can be wet inside and take a strong torch you will be able to see into the dark rooms where german soldiers were living during those times.
There are leaflets on each route available from tourist offices and its fantastic to be able to choose where you go and how long you stay there for.

Must go now but if there are any questions I would love to offer any help.

Muck

Mucky

Oh and one place that you will want to research, and visit, as I found it to be one of the most interesting but perhaps lesser known places is WN 17 HILLMAN Batterie.
Its a command post and the underground network is quite fascinating. They tend to keep it locked up but if you can pursuade the keepers to open up everything you will see so much.

Muck

crepes_a_go_go

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

cmcfong wrote:
<<Just want to say how marvelous it is that a 12 year old appreciates the WWII history and the sacrifices made in our defense.>>

I'm really glad he does. I am a teacher, and I see that our youth today have no clue about the sacrifices made and the truly monumental significance of the war. Even though I don't teach history, I work in bits and pieces through my subjects of English and French.

Mucky wrote:
<<France is very respectful and grateful for what the allies did for their freedom from the Nazi's>>

Yes, they are. I happen to have been in Paris on 6 June for the past 5 years, and since I'm there, I always go to the Arc de Triomphe to observe the old soldiers taking part in the service there. Many ALWAYS approach me (as it is very obvious I'm American) and thank me for what our country did for them and their liberation. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

When Bush was there on the Champs Elysees for the 60th, I was out and about all the day, soaking up all that gratitude. That's the time I should have gone to experience it in Normandy, but I happened to be by myself that year so I didn't do it.

Powell

Tower offers sage advice.

I was eight years old when Normandy occurred. My cousin was wounded at Omaha Beach.

We visited the American Cemetery in 2002. It was a beautiful day in May. We walked among the graves that are perfectly symmetrical and face due west toward America. Officers and enlisted men are buried together. We learned there are sixteen sets of brothers buried at Normandy.

As we were leaving I heard a carrillon. It was playing "My Country 'Tis of thee". Tears came to my eyes.

Anthony Spinelli

Bigal

Crepes a go go........you didn't say how you are doing the visits and where from. If you are going to stay a day or two(or more) I would suggest staying in Bayeux. It was the only town liberated on DDay without street fighting and hence the only town as it was. It is also good to know if you are using a car or local transportation.

I happened to be at Normandy in early June of 1944 although my "celebration" of the day was on a boat in Southampton harbor.

No question there will be activity at the Cemetary and when you look at the Channel from that point (St.Laurent-Collville) you'll see where the GIs landed.

Don't know if the 12 year old has seen "The Longest Day" for I would highly recommend it as wll as a couple of Stephan Ambrose books whose prose I think a 12 year old could u7nderstand.

There is so much here already discussed that I would go to search up on top. You'll have quite alot to look at. This thread is just a tease.

crepes_a_go_go

Bigal, I am honored that you posted. Son has watched every movie, documentary and read lots - he wants us to stay in the area for the entire summer! I would if I could, but we will probably do 3 days. We will be coming from Tours, and as ridiculous as it seems to some, I am trying to avoiding renting a car. I prefer the ease of public transport since I am not a good navigator and like leaving the driving to someone else since I am on vacation. I've heard all the arguments, but I am a hard-headed female, need I say more?

Thanks for the tip about Bayeux being the only place more or less as it were. Good to know and might figure into my decision.

Anyone else? There is so much that I am overwhelmed and need all the first hand info and help I can get!

kerouac

At the Caen Memorial, there is a stunning film showing each of the cities of the area before and after the bombings. There is no city that is as it was. Some have been reconstructed better than others.

kerouac

However, I will qualify that by saying that the CENTER of Bayeux escaped damage. After all, it is always considered more important to protect monuments than to protect human beings in such circumstances.

Bigal

Kerouac......you say " it is always considered more important to protect monuments than to protect human beings in such circumstances."

I don't quite follow. The Canadians who retook Bayeux were concerned in driving out the Germans with the least loss of lives to themselves, that I guarantee.In turn. the Germans were most concerned in getting their rear ends out of Bayeux and if distruction helped them, so be it. It was the fighting skills of the allies that saved the town.I can assure you that on DDAY saving monuments was not a consideration.