France & London 2017, Day 6

Juno Beach in Normandy

The American Cemetary at Omaha Beach in Normandy

Our day touring the Normandy coast of France today was a solemn and reflective one for our group. We went to the D-Day Museum in Caen, in addition to touring Juno Beach, Omaha Beach, and Pointe du Hoc, where the combined allied forces landed on D-Day to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi rule. We went to the American Cemetary to pay our respects to the American soldiers who gave their lives during WWII. By chance, we saw a group of military cadets from Annapolis and West Point carry out a ceremony to honor the Americans at the cemetery. What we witnessed at those memorials brought us a greater idea of what it means to be American.

-Omar Yunus, ’18

How could we send these young men to a war that we knew some of them would not come back from? That is the question that has been rumbling around in my head all day long while visiting Normandy, France, the site of the Allied invasion of Europe. The American Cemetary overlooking Omaha Beach where thousands of American men who died on that fateful Day in June of 1944 lay at rest was surprisingly beautiful and a monumental tribute. By the end of the day I came to learn the answer to my original question. These men sacrificed their lives to thwart the spread of tyranny and oppression that goes against everything that America stands for. These men were fighting for a peaceful tomorrow, and for that we should be forever grateful.

-Winston Margaritis, ’18