PAYING OUR DEEPEST RESPECTS: March 15, 2011

Before leaving for France, we watch films and read books about D-Day and the Allied liberation of Normandy. This renews our respect for the 135,000 troops who put their lives on the line as they made land during the first Allied incursion into Europe in World War II. We feel great sadness for those we never knew; those who gave their lives to free Europe during this epic moment in history. These heroes are on our minds and tugging at our heartstrings as we tour sacred sites on a beautiful day.

Our ten-hour tour includes the following American D-Day areas--the German Cemetery; the Airborne Museum at St-Mere Eglise; Utah Beach; the chapel at Angoville au Plain; Omaha Beach; Pointe du Hoc; the American Cemetery and Memorial above Omaha Beach and, our final stop, the Longues-sur-Mer Gun Battery, the only original coastal artillery guns remaining in place in the D-Day region. Our tour guide is a very knowledgeable Frenchman who spews many stories and provides much information about the Battle of Normandy. We tour with a married couple in their 30's, both teachers from Fort Lauderdale. This is a day we will always remember. Each American should revisit these events often to truly appreciate and fully cherish the freedoms we enjoy. Unfortunately, such is the price of liberty.