-Normandy-

6 am came early the morning we left for Normandy. We all piled into the van, tired and disoriented and hit the road. We all slept the majority of the drive and immediately went to our first stop, the Point du Hoc the WW2 memorial on the beach. Being there in person really helped us understand the conditions of the war and the made me realize how hard it must have been for these men. We saw huge holes around the entire hill above the beach and learned that they were caused by the bombs the Germans dropped. We went into what was left of there fortress and saw how dark, cold, and dangerous it all was. Around the memorial, there were pictures and stories of some of the soldiers who fought in the battle. France preserved this battle well and presents it proudly.

After that, we made our way to Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery to honor all the men who gave their lives and fought. Once at the cemetery I had a much better understanding and perspective of how big the war was and the impact it had on the world. There were so many tombstones, too many to count, and it honestly overwhelmed me. After visiting the cemetery our last stop was going to a museum. This museum is known for a video they show of live footage showing what it was like during that time for the soldiers and the civilians. This video was only 20 min long but hard to watch. This was a heavy day just in general but overall a very educational.

Going to Normandy and understanding more of what happened made me love America more. Honestly, the more excursions and the more historical places we visited the more I realized how America was so helpful during WW1 and WW2. It has made me proud to be American. I really did enjoy seeing and learning all about this war. I would love to go back to Normandy again, it was a beautiful, beautiful town.