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Normandy Omaha Beach Museums, Memorials and the American Cemetery 
The Normandy American Cemetery sits on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, one of the five beaches used during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. The D-Day landings, codenamed Operation Overlord, was an Allied military operation during World War II. The primary goal was to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation and establish a foothold for a broader offensive against Germany. It was when the Allies launched the largest seaborne invasion in history along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast. Each beach had a codename and was assigned to different Allied forces. Omaha Beach was an 8-kilometer stretch of coastline assigned to the U.S. 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions which involved 34,250 American troops storming the beach, which was heavily fortified by the 352nd Infantry Division, with bunkers, pillboxes, mines, and machine gun nests. The steep cliff and narrow exits made it difficult for the troops to advance and over 4,100 American soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing on D-Day at Omaha Beach alone. Despite their losses, small groups scaled the cliff and attacked German positions from the flanks. By nightfall, they had established two tenuous footholds, which were expanded in the following days. Established on the cliffs above Omaha Beach on June 8, 1944, just two days after the D-Day landings, was the temporary St. Laurent Cemetery. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial was officially dedicated on July 19, 1956, which transformed the temporary one into a permanent tribute and dedicated the site spanning 172.5 acres, to the 9,388 American military personnel buried there, most of whom died during the Normandy campaign. There are also 307 graves of unknown soldiers.  As part of the memorial the semicircular Walls of the Missing list the names of 1,557 Americans whose remains were never recovered.  Located within the memorial complex, at the centre of a semicircular colonnade, is the 22 feet tall bronze statue “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves”. This depicts a nude young American soldier rising heroically from the waves, arms outstretched toward the sky. His body curves upward, symbolizing sacrifice, youth, and transcendence. The base of the statue is inscribed with the line: “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord” - words from the Battle Hymn of the Republic, reinforcing the spiritual and patriotic tone. Created by American sculptor Donald Harcourt De Lue in 1951, it was installed as part of the memorial’s dedication in 1956.  Within the colonnade are maps, on the walls, showing the air operations over Normandy, the amphibious assault landings, and the landings on the Normandy Beaches.  Located directly in front of the Memorial colonnade, facing west toward the burial grounds, is the Reflecting Pool. This is positioned between the statue Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves and the circular chapel, thus forming a central axis of remembrance. With a long rectangular pool, the still waters are meant to evoke peace, reflection and the memory of the sacrifices that were made.  A flag-lowering ceremony is held in the central memorial area, near the two flagpoles that stand near the graves. This ritual takes place every afternoon at 5:00 PM, Near the memorial, overlooking Omaha Beach, there is a bronze orientation table depicting the landing beaches.  Situated by the cemetery is the Visitor Centre, a Museum of Memory and Meaning. This Opened on June 6, 2007, during the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day landings.  Designed to honour individual stories, educate visitors, and contextualise the cemetery’s significance.  The centre focuses primarily on the historical context and includes many personal stories, rather than large-scale military hardware, although it does contain a jeep.  It also includes a Czech Hedgehog, which were obstacles made from steel that were designed to act as anti-tank obstacles and were adapted to prevent landing craft from reaching the beaches.  The Centre Features Permanent exhibition which includes historical maps and timelines; Personal artifacts, letters, and photographs; Portraits and biographies of soldiers buried in the cemetery as well as short films of the D-Day landings and the broader campaign. A short distance away is Les Braves Sculpture, a striking steel monument located on Omaha Beach at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer where German defences once stood. Made of stainless steel designed to shimmer in sunlight and reflect the sea. The sculpture consists of three distinct elements, each of which is symbolic and intended to inspire future generations. Weighing 15 tonnes, it stands 9 meters high, 15 meters wide. It was created by French artist Anilore Banon and inaugurated on June 5, 2004, the day before the 60th anniversary of D-Day and stands as a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Allied soldiers who stormed the beach on June 6, 1944.  Located on land in front of Les Braves Sculpture is a stone monument placed close to the shore and the waterline. The monument relatively modest in size compared to the dramatic steel sculpture behind it. It is a dedication to the soldiers who fought and died during the D-Day landings. A simple, rectangular stone memorial, inscribed with a tribute in both French and English, which honours the American forces, particularly the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions, who landed at this sector of Omaha Beach.  Situated off the beach are the remnants of the Mulberry Harbour, which was the American-built Mulberry A the artificial port constructed off Omaha Beach to support the D-Day landings. Severely damaged by a storm from June 19–22, 1944. Following the destruction, the Americans had to resort to landing supplies directly over open beaches. Several remnants do still survive and can be seen today from the shore. The bits visible were used to connect ships to shore.  |
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All Photographs were taken by and are copyright of Ron Gatepain
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