Pointe du Hoc

Pointe du Hoc is positioned in between the Utah and Omaha beaches (the 2 landing sights for the American forces). This was the Germans' most heavily fortified position along the coast. For the American landings to succeed, it was essential to take out this battery. Therefore this position was the most heavily bombed of all on D-Day receiving more than 10,000 TONS of bombs. The countryside is littered with huge craters and the remains of huge slabs on concrete from the bombed bunkers.

Jer standing in the bottom of a huge crater, the kids climbing back out of one. We tried to explain to the kids what took place here, that all the craters were from bombs dropped here. That the concrete slabs and bombed out bunkers were once shelters for the Germans, many of who died and most likely their remains were never recovered. It is hard to explain this to kids who are more interested in climbing on the rubble....but someday we will once again pull out these pictures, and explain to them what happened, and be able to tell them they were there, they saw with their own eyes the destruction and hopefully they will remember, and be able to learn from history.

This last picture is one that Joni took - and it describes what I saw there the day we visited and what touched me the most. Older men....sitting as this one, or standing, looking, reflecting, walking among the craters and bombed bunkers. Were they American? Were they German? Were they here 64 years ago? What is their story? Did they see their brothers die before their eyes? What are they feeling? The emotion, the powerful emotion...this is what touched me.