Traveling home
The day was long, and everyone was exhausted.
Anne-Sophie Durel, our tour guide for the day in Normandy, led us back onto the bus after visiting Chateau Vouilly. This was where war correspondents like Ernie Pyle stayed to write their columns during World War II. Our next destination was Pointe du Hoc, the first D-Day site on our agenda for the day.
Once parked, we began our windy walk toward the water. On our walk to the distant pillbox bunker, Anne-Sophie began to tell us about her grandmother’s experience living in Normandy during World War II. She explained why her grandmother had feared the American soldiers and how the booklet issued by the United States government upon embarkment to France, “A Pocket Guide to France,” impacted how women in this area were treated during the war.
Soon we were standing at the entrance to the bunker. Similar to the other bunkers visible around us, it was made of thick stone and had a narrow slit about eye height that looked out upon the English Channel. Although there was little to no damage to the bunker, the ground around it was clearly hit by bombs. This was evident by the many craters left in the ground around us that had made our walk to the bunker so difficult. Anne-Sophie explained that the largest of the craters on this beach in particular was 22 feet deep.
From here we made our way toward the point of the beach. There was another pillbox bunker to explore here as well. Before descending into the bunker, I walked out onto the point so I could look out at the cliffs on either side of the beach below us. I tried to envision the American soldiers in landing barges on the water approaching the cliffs below and flying above me. It was hard to believe soldiers had been able to climb their way up these steep cliffs onto the craterous ground I was standing on.
I made my way back to the entrance of the bunker on the point and began climbing the stairs down into the cold, dark room. I discovered this pillbox bunker built into the cliff was in fact over five rooms large. Some rooms included plaques commemorating what had taken place on Pointe du Hoc and how the bunkers were utilized.
Before leaving the bunker, I made my way into the room in the very front. From here I could look out upon the English Channel and along the cliffs through the long, narrow slit in the rock. Here is where I could really envision what the world went through on that day, and it made me proud knowing that I was standing here because of the sacrifices so many people made.
