Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The 75 miles of Atlantic coast north of Bayeux, stretching from Ste-Marie-du-Mont to
Ouistreham, are littered with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries, and battle remains
left in tribute to the courage of the British, Canadian, and American armies that success-
fully carried out the largest military operation in history: D-Day. (It's called
Jour J
in
French—theletters“D”and“J”comefromthefirstletterfortheword“day”ineitherEng-
lish or French.) It was on these serene beaches, at the crack of dawn on June 6, 1944, that
the Allies finally gained a foothold in France, and Nazi Europe was doomed to crumble.
“The first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive... The fate of Germany depends on the
outcome... For the Allies, as well as Germany, it will be the longest day.”
—Field Marshal Erwin Rommel to his aide, April 22, 1944 (from
The Longest Day,
by Cornelius Ryan)
June of 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the landings. There will be huge D-Day
commemorations around June 6—many heads of state are likely to attend, but there are
only a few veterans still alive for these solemn ceremonies. (If you plan to come near the
anniversary, you'll need to book about six months ahead.) All along this rambling coast,
locals will never forget what the troops and their families sacrificed all those years ago. A
warm regard for Americans has survived political disputes, from de Gaulle to “Freedom
Fries.” This remains particularly friendly soil for Americans—a place where their soldiers
are still honored and the image of the US as a force for good has remained largely untar-
nished.
