NI Photowalk - The American Cemetery at Normandy

This path, with the carefully trimmed trees on either side, leads to the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.

This quote at the official visitors center expresses the attitude about 

Looking beyond the reflecting pool at the visitors center, you can see the waters of the English Channel.

The cemetery is built on the bluff above a section of Omaha Beach.  Bodies started being buried here the first night and the site was eventually chosen for the permanent cemetery.  Soldiers who died during the Normandy campaign were transferred here in 1947.

At the front of the cemetery is this portico.

In the wings of the portico, there were maps displaying the events of the war.  This shows the campaign between June 6, 1944, and May 5, 1945.

The Development of the Global War

The landing on the beaches and the establishment of the beachhead.

The landings

Air operations

Close-ups of the route of the 4th Division from Utah Beach to Cherbourg

This statue at the center of the portico is a monument to America's youth emerging from the waves to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny.

View from the portico toward the cemetery

At the center of the cemetery is a chapel.  The inside is small, but peaceful.  The pews were roped off, which bothered me a bit because people might want to spend time there for reflection.  There was a wonderful mosaic on the ceiling, but I felt weird taking pictures inside.

This window looks into the chapel.

There are over 9000 Americans remembered at the American Cemetery.

Those 9000 include the names listed on this wall of Army and Navy personnel with no known grave.

There are unmarked graves at the cemetery.

Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt, Jr., is buried there.

His brother, who died in World War I, was moved to lie next to him.  He is the only World War I Veteran buried at Colleville.

Cosby native Eston Baxter is also buried there.

When family visits, sand from Omaha Beach is rubbed into the name of the marker so that it stands out.

I wished that we had brought some dirt from Cosby or some water from Cosby Creek to pour on his grave.

We weren't the only ones who paid respect to Eston that day.  Because his name stood out, others stopped to read it.

Looking through the trees at the portico and the statue as we left that day.