Normandy was an interesting excursion that was very sobering. I thought the most impactful part of the trip was the visit to the cemetery. It was very difficult to see all of the graves. The cemetery definitely met what I was expecting to see. The only aspect that slightly surprised me was seeing a swastika on the maps that showed the locations of various battles. After discussion with some classmates however I agreed that it was important to have historical accuracy and authenticity. I was expecting many more aspects of war at the beach. I was shocked that there were touristy aspects such as a carousel and souvenir shops. I thought the memorial itself was beautiful and well done. I appreciated the various quotes from leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt. Specifically I like one part of Roosevelt’s quote, “We .. would rather die on our feet than live on our knees”.
