In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons. – Herodotus
Omaha Beach
Listening to Beethoven’s Fifth Sympathy as background music for opening scenes of The Longest Day is an appropriate introduction to what will be a week of museums and sites which tell the story of the longest day in the memories of thousands of men who survived the invasion of Normandy. June 6th, 1944 – the day when Evil witnessed the biggest Armada the world has ever known.
Every human being should recognize the significance of June 6, 1944. D-Day = “The Day.” June 5 was D-1, June 7 was D+1. June 6, 1944 was D-Day, a day that changed the course of history.
I admit, I am underwhelmed with the city of Caen. However, it’s an easy reach by train from Paris, it has some historical sites, one terrific museum, and is a good location from which to rent a car with which to explore Normandy. And, I should not be too critical. Post-War reconstruction of complete districts led to its urbanization and inevitable loss of historic Norman charm.
