A trip to a beach is usually for fun; this visit was more somber. Our first stop, at Omaha Beach, gave us the opportunity to step on the sands on which so many Americans died 70 years ago this June. We could see the remains of a German bunker, and a reconstructed pier, and turning our backs to the beautiful ocean, find the cliffs the troops who survived had to scale.
Quietly, we moved on to the American cemetery a few miles away. I did not expect it to be so lovely- set oceanside, abundant with trees and flowers, a peaceful setting embracing the white marble headstones of the 9,387 soldiers buried there. We had time to stroll the grounds.