My Trip to Normandy by Will

Today I woke up and started to clean when mom gave me a letter to put in the mail.  So I went down stairs and mailed the letter.  When I went in the apartment Mom and Edy were walking down the stairs.  Edy was holding my packed backpack.  Mom said we were going to get a baguette.  Then Mom said we were going to wait for Dad to come with the rental car because we were going to put a couple bags in because tomorrow is going to be cold.

So Dad pulled up and Mom said to sit in the front seat to see how comfortable it was.  So I did.  When I got out Dad knelt on one knee and asked where I wanted to be in all of the world today.  So I said Normandy and Dad said that where we're going - to Normandy.  I started to cry.  I was so happy.  Me and Dad got in the car.  At first I climbed in the back but Dad said to come up front.  Mom said when the door was open that there was a ton of junk food in the snack bag.  So I said goodbye to Edy and Mom and we left.

In the car me and Dad talked about D-Day.  Dad asked me what beach I wanted to see.  So I said Sword because it was closest.  When we were there we learned that in 1941 a British force landed and harassed German soldiers and scouted out defenses.  That kept the Germans on their heels.

Me at Sword Beach.

Selfie at Sword Beach with Dad's long hair.

Sword Beach looking towards Juno Beach.

Map of the all of the destroyers and battle ships.

This was where the British landed in 1941 and harassed the Germans.

After that we drove along Sword and stopped every once in awhile.  Soon we were at Juno Beach. We stopped because I saw a bunker.  The bunker was facing the land not the beach.  Because then it would not get damaged by battle ships.  We then walked on the beach.  I then saw a bunker hidden by weeds and vines. After we took a picture, we went back to the car and drove to a place where there were tanks and anti-tank guns.  There was a canal right next to where we were so across the canal I saw a museum.  So we went to the car and drove to the museum.  We got out and walked the beach before the museum.  I saw a huge cross.  Apparently it was where General de Gaulle landed.

We found this name at Juno Beach.

Here is the bunker facing land.

This is the hidden bunker.

This tank is for my good friend, Jim Slavin.

There were US jeeps everywhere.  

This is where General de Gaulle landed.

So after that we walked to the yard next to the museum. We were walking next to a bunker so I went in when I came out dad said that we were next to an airport.  Cool, I said.  When WHOOO - 8 fighter jets flew by.  They were going so fast.  Soon they were gone.  We looked at the museum and we walked near it.  Then I realized we left our masks in the car so we just decided to not go to the museum.  :(  In the car I saw something in the distance.  Then I realized they were the planes and this time their rockets were making the French flag.  I told Dad to pull over but only I got out of the car fast enough to see the planes fly 50 meters close to us.  Dad did not get a photo but I can life with the memory.

This is the bunker I was in before we saw the planes.

If you look closely you can see the 8 planes.

We got into the car and drove to Gold Beach.  We stopped at a place for food next to Gold but we could not get food to go so we went to a bunker I saw.  After we saw the bunker we went down to the beach.  I had a  great-great-uncle who fought in World War II so I think we saw where he arrived in France from England because there were some ruins of the deep water harbors.

On Gold Beach we could see Omaha Beach so the British could see that the Americans were having trouble not getting up the beach.  After the beach we went back to the car.  In the car we saw more planes fly by.  We drove to a little town with a canal off Omaha Beach.  Before that I had gotten four cool pictures of battles.

Gold Beach

More of Gold Beach with deep water ruins in background.

Gold Beach with Omaha Beach on the far left.

Anyway for lunch we got sandwiches.  I got ham and butter and Dad got a burger.  After lunch we went back to the car and put some stuff in the car, like the last bits of my sandwich.  Then we went to see if there was anything to see about D-Day or to see if we could see the ocean.  On the walk to the ocean we saw a dock and I wandered how many times it was used when the allies were here.  Soon we were at where there were metal docks.  We did not go to the end but it was still cool to see the ocean.

On the way back to the car I saw a plaque on a point on the canal that said a ton of movies where made here including The Longest Day.  The canal went to the ocean from past the car from past the place we had lunch.  Soon we were on another point.  This one was really long so me and Dad took a picture.  Soon we headed back to the car.

Once in the car we drove to Bayeux and when we got there we headed for the one thing Dad has wanted to see for 40 years!  The tapestry!  But then I realized I left our masks in the car.  So Dad ran back to the car while I tried to see if I could scare pigeons from a long distance.  Two French people looked at me like I was crazy.  when Dad got back we went to the tapestry!  The people at the museum asked if we wanted an audio guide we said "no" in French.  But when I saw the tapestry we went back and got them.  The tapestry was so cool.  It was on the Battle of Hastings and that is one of my favorite battles.  And William the Conqueror and his head priest Odo (pronounced Otto) fought against Harold, which is funny because Will (me) and my cousin (Otto) fight against Harold (my grandpa) in wrestling!

A picture of a sign that Dad liked.

King William with the sword and Odo to the left. 

The Saxons last stand.

Anyways after we went to the gift shop Dad saw a book with pictures and descriptions.  But then Dad saw a bigger book so Dad got that.  After that I got some postcards of the tapestry.  After that we saw the Cathedral at Bayeux and then we went back to the car and drove to Caen (pronounced "con") where we parked at a parking lot and then we walked toward another cathedral.  We got to walk in a botanical garden on the way.  We got to go around the back of the of cathedral with tons of old buildings.  And then we walked under an arch and walked to the front of the church.  In the church it was so old and cool.  On the way back after the arch we saw onto the back of the church there were shell holes from World War II.  After that we walked to an abandoned cathedral.  But it was blocked by an old wall with grass on it so I climbed up and took a photo for Dad.  The church was destroyed from World War II.

Cathedral at Bayeux

More of the Cathedral at Bayeux

Just one of the stained glass windows.

The ceiling in the crypt of the Cathedral at Bayeux.

Cathedral at Bayeux - If you look closely enough you can see the flags of the Allies from WWII on the spire.

Inside the Cathedral at Bayeau

Inside the Cathedral at Caen was William the Conquerer's grave.

I'm so sad about my namesake.

One funny story before Caen I had to go to the bathroom.  Then in Caen I took at leak on a tree.  Dad said didn't you just go the bathroom and I said it was a "con"!  Get it?

On the drive home I read and out of nowhere I read about the Battle of Hastings in my Dark Knights and Dingy Castles book!

On the clock when the time said 19:44 I took a picture and at 20:20 I took a photo because it said 6-6-20 so it was cool to see it say 1944 6-6-20.

A selfie I sent to Mom

When I got home I told Mom all about what we did.  Dad was parking the car.  When he got home we told Mom more.  After that I called Noelle and Grandmama and Aunt Judy and told them all about my day!  Edy came home from babysitting but I was too tired to tell her.  Before that I had to take a shower.  I went to bed so fast.  It was an amazing day.  Thanks Dad!

By Will

If you are interested in learning more about D-Day please check out my new series History Tales.  This is the first book called "D-Day."

Thank you for reading my History Tales book on D-Day!  The next book out is "Tuskegee Airmen."