NORMANDY, D-DAY. IN REMEMBRANCE: HENRY HARLEY HALL

Regal Princess/Port of Le Havre, France
Monday, October 7, 2024
Cloud, occasional light rain, 63F

Normandy American Cemetery 
overlooking Omaha Beach

Our Overlord Tours guide, Remy, met us at the dock in Le Havre at 8 a.m., along with 3 other couples, for a day of looking back 80 years to one of the most important days in American history, June 6, 1944.  Originally from northern France, Remy has devoted his life to history and the study of World War II. His knowledge and personality made this a very special day.

Omaha Beach is about 90 miles from Le Havre, an easy drive with good roads today (with some road work.)  We drove through the small village, Colleville-sur-Mer directly to the beach. The serenity of the scene today contradicted the horror of that day---grasses were waving in the light wind, the sea calmly broke quiet waves onto the beach, the sand was almost white. A few large rocks dotted the scene, and when we turned away from the sea, we could see remnants of a pillbox and a bunker on the upper banks.

The beach area with a code name

 of Omaha Beach was 4 miles long

Omaha Beach

looking in the opposite direction

Rock in the sand 

used as protection

This hill is steeper than it looks here

The beach is at my back as 

I look up the incline in this photo

Remnants of a bunker and a pill box

Remy told us that the Germans had occupied the whole area for the previous four years, and the French had to feed them and share their homes with them. He showed us enlarged photos as he explained June 6, 1944, almost minute by minute.  I will not record the history here. The conditions were not optimal, but the operation had to proceed.  We tried to imagine the six foot waves, the cold sea, targets missed by Navy ships and B54 bombers because of the cloud layer, the soldiers moving forward, the medics trying to care for wounded, little cover, yet the soldiers continued on.

“Bloody Omaha” saw the highest number of American casualties—3600 wounded and about 770 killed.  My mother’s first cousin, Henry Harley Hall, Jr., of Corry, Pennsylvania, was one of those killed.

“Bloody Omaha” was the D-Day landing beach that saw the highest number of casualties on D-Day. Omaha was assaulted by the 1st US Infantry Division, and elements of the U.S. Rangers and 29th Infantry Division. The U.S. suffered 3,600 casualties at Omaha Beach. Around 770 were killed. As I reflect on the Omaha Beach and the invasion, it is difficult to imagine the noise, the terror, the willingness to risk everything.

PFC Henry Hall was 20 years old when he was killed on Omaha Beach. Seven other Erie County men made the ultimate sacrifice that day, SGT Francis Carnrike of Corry, killed on Omaha Beach; SGT Joseph Felix of Millcreek, killed on Omaha Beach; PVT Irwin Hess of Millcreek, killed on Omaha Beach; PFC William Howard, killed on Omaha Beach; Staff SGT Leo Ferretti of Erie, killed on Utah Beach; Staff SGT Charles Kettering of Corry, killed at Point du Hoc; and  PVT Harold Innes of Corry, killed in 101^st Paratroop Division drop.  These men are honored on the World War II Memorial in Erie County Veterans Memorial Park, Erie, Pennsylvania.

After quiet time on the Beach, Remy drove us to the Normandy American Cemetery nearby—the 172.5 acres contains the graves of 9,389 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day Landings and ensuing operations.  This peaceful cemetery is reminiscent of the American World War I cemeteries in France that TK and I visited in 2015 and 2018, perfectly maintained white marble crosses or Star of David symbols in rows and rows.  One of the Superintendents of a World War I cemetery in 2018 told us to look at the gravestones as men and women standing before us. Today, 9,385 men and 4 women stood before us---those who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.

Normandy American Cemetery

Normandy American Cemetery

Janie at Normandy American Cemetery

View of Omaha Beach beyond a cliff from the Cemetery

View of Omaha Beach from the Cemetery

After this solemn morning, we headed to the Medieval city of Bayeux, France for lunch at Brasserie le Garde Manger (Croque Monsieur is always safe—a grilled cheese sandwich).  TK had a ham and cheese omelette.

So much food! Croque Monsieur

(like Grilled Ham and Cheese)

This is this restaurant's take on it-cheese on top

Delicious!

I hate when I forget to take a photo 

until after I have taken a bite

TK's ham and cheese omelette

Bayeux, a city liberated on June 7, 1944, is known for the famed 223 foot long Tapisserie de Bayeux, an 11th-century tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman invasion of England, on display in an 18th-century seminary.  I was sorry there was not time to see it, a thousand years old! I did visit the gift shop, but I would love to return one day.   I have heard of this treasure since high school and art history classes in college.

This borrowed image, one small section, 

will give you an  idea

Finally, we made a quick stop in Honfleur, giving me enough time to take photos of those narrow houses again in another attempt to explain how those narrow houses are built!

Honfleur --two streets converge

On the lower street, left of the corner gray building,

you see the very narrow buildings

with awnings over the doors of the bottom one or two floors..

Look to the right of the corner building

Here the top floors open to the upper street

This is the same gray corner building in front

We did make it back to the ship for dinner. After dinner as we were back in our room, the Captain announced what we were expecting.  Because of Hurricane Kirk, we will not be going to either port in Spain on Wednesday and Friday, Bilbao and Vigo.  The hurricane over the Atlantic now is heading straight to Spain.  The Captain also mentioned we would be heading back to Cobh, Ireland to port on Wednesday. Then we will head to Madeira, Azores Islands after that. He mentioned another storm, Hurricane Milton –he does not yet know how it could affect this sail.

We are thinking more about the impact on the U.S. and our family and friends in Florida and other areas that are under duress.  We are going to be fine.

TK’s Takes: Round Abouts are prevalent, but not for 3 streets or roads converging like on Route 5 west of Erie.  Roads were good.