Cimetière Américain de Normandie

I’m not a history buff, and even I enjoyed visiting the cemetery. I had the opportunity to visit when I was 17, and I recently got to go back again with my husband while we were on our honeymoon.
The cemetery is absolutely pristine, a true work of art. It’s sad to look at the never ending rows of crosses. Even though they’re beautiful, it’s impossible to forget that they are graves. I highly recommend taking a guided tour of the cemetery. Unfortunately, we did not, but we heard tidbits while passing other tours, and there is a lot to learn. Families of the soldiers had a choice of whether or not to bury their loved ones here, and many did not. The movie «Saving Private Ryan» was based off the family of 2 brothers who are buried here. When 3 of the 4 Niland brothers died in the war, the last surviving brother was sent home to be with his family. They later discovered that one of the other brothers was captured, but not killed.
I would suggest setting aside an entire day for visiting the site. You could spend hours walking downs the rows of graves. In addition to the cemetery, you can actually walk down to the beach where the soldiers landed. It’s quite a trek but well worth it. There is also a museum with a timeline of the events of WWII which was very interesting and helpful for me since I didn’t pay enough attention in history!

This cemetery is amazing. It reminded me of the Arlington Cemetery in USA when I visited a long while back. What’s incredible is that this cemetery actually resides in another country (France), and we had the privilege to visit and pay tribute to those veterans who died for freedom and the future of their children.
It was a somber moment to see all the crosses lined across the grounds, some with writing that indicate a lost soldier (unnamed but who is known only to God). So glad our tour guide (for the day) was able to share some of the stories of those fallen soldiers, so we can hear a glimpse into their history and the fighting during WWII.
This year happens to be the 75^th anniversary of D-​Day, and we had WWII veterans on site at these D-​Day sites to celebrate and remember the past. All heads of state came to Normandy back in June 2014 to remember this time too.
On the day we visited, my husband and I were able to see the American Cemetery staff take down the 2 USA flags in the late afternoon (around 4:30 pm?). A crowd of people gathered around to see this event, and there was music playing in the background to really stir up emotions. :)
Walk towards the fountain /​sculpture section of the memorial — and you’ll see carvings of the D-​Day events and writing on the walls, telling the story of what happened during WWII, and how the Americans contributed. Fascinating…
We’re so glad we were able to visit this site!

June 6, 1944 Operation Neptune was well underway. It was the last ditch effort of Allied Forces to overcome the tyranny of a madman whose reign of terror waged for 5 years. Operation Overlord would take many American, British and Canadien boys onto several beaches to meet their demise. Fortunately, many did make it up the treacherous beach to overtake the Nazi forces.
This cemetery is sovereign American soil given to the USA by the French for their gratitude of liberation. Walking the grounds, brought a sense of melancholy and pride. I cannot fathom the carnage of that morning nor could I express my gratitude for my freedom to those whose bodies lay here. As I continued walking and reading, my heart was overwhelmed to the point of tears.
All I could mutter from my trembling lips were… «thank you»

A very emotional experience to see the cemetery and memorial. There’s an excellent museum with films and information about the lead up to D-​Day and it is all free, opposed to the various museums in Bayeux and out near Omaha Beach. If you have limited time, visit here and Pointe du Hoc where the rangers scaled the cliffs in order to get a good overview of German gun emplacements and bombing impact craters, as well as the American memorial near Omaha Beach to view the terrain the soldiers were faced with on landing. A very powerful experience.

Impressionnant
Ce cimetière je l’ai surtout vu a la télé ou par internet et en étant dans la région, cela m’a tenté d’aller le visiter car il faut y aller une fois dans sa vie pour voir de ses yeux ce cimetières vraiment impressionnant. Avant d’arriver au cimetière, il y a déjà un musée a visiter qui nous parle du déparquement de normandie et aussi de ce cimetière. Ensuite en continuant on arrive au cimetière, ce qui impressionne déjà, c’est l’alignement de tous les croix, aucune né dépassé par rapport aux autres. Il y a aussi la pelouse bien verte, qui doit être tondu souvent car elle est identique partout. Les arbres aussi couper tous pareil en carré, les monuments entretenu et aucun déchet sur le sol. Ensuite l’émotion nous envahit en pesant a tous ceux que ces soldats ont vécu pendant cette bataille, cela est vraiment impressionnant.

Visit on 23 July with my 13-​year old son, not much words to be spoken, this history was speaking. We visited British and German cemeteries as well. For all we bow our heads, American cemetery impressed most. Must be because of number of casualties when landing at Omaha. But as well the way we entered the site: first passing detecting gates, then visiting the exposition on the landings. Very detailed information, presented in different ways. Information about various special army-​men/​heroes — apart from all the others —. We left this exposition hall walking through a hallway, where a voice named the soldiers continuasly, making us very humble. And then we got onto the cemetery. Silence, except a gull’s screams, stars and stripes slowly waving. No words could be said.

Der amerikanische Soldatenfriedhof bei Colleville-​sur-​Mer gehört zu den bewegendsten Orten, die ich je gesehen habe. Über 9.000 amerikanische Soldaten, die meisten junge Männer zwischen 20 und 30, die bei der Landung der Alliierten im Juni 1944 gefallen sind, liegen hier begraben. Schier endlose Reihen von Grabkreuzen aus weißem Marmor ziehen sich durch ein parkähnlich angelegtes Gelände oberhalb des «Omaha Beach» genannten Strandabschnittes, der zu «bloody Omaha» wurde. Am Eingang des Friedhofes befindet sich ein bei allem amerikanischen Heldenkult sehr informativ und objektiv gestaltetes Visitors Center, das man nicht verpassen sollte.
Man verlässt diesen jetzt so friedlichen und — ja, man muß es sagen — schönen Ort mit einem Gefühl der Trauer, aber auch der Dankbarkeit dafür, daß die hier begrabenen Männer auch uns die Freiheit erkämpft haben.

Le site est majestueux, toutes ses tombes bien entretenues, ses allées droites et ce gazon plat. Pour tous ces hommes morts trop jeunes. Le cimeterre surplombe la plage en hauteur, il faut marcher trois cent mètres pour y accéder, un belle balade au milieu des dunes.

a visiter, lieu incontournable des plages du débarquement

Just up from the beach, this cemetery is touching, a peaceful contrast to what things must have been like here in 1944. The grounds are amazingly well cared for. The monuments are sobering, as are the rows and rows of grave markers.
There’s a small museum, worth stopping into for a few minutes. Take the time to stop here and reflect for awhile,

I never know cemetery can make me feel so emotion until I am here at American Cemetery.
After visiting the site for Invasion of Normandy and the museum makes the strolling down and looking at these rolls of rolls of endless grave markers more meaningful.
May they all RIP…

Difficile de décrire cet endroit, encore moins de le «noter». En revanche je né peux que recommander de le visiter si vous passez dans la région.
La côte de Normandie est parsemée de témoignages de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, entre bunkers et pièces d’artillerie, ports artificiels, musées. Et on peut en apprendre beaucoup sur les évènements de cette période en visitant tout cela; mais rien né peut préparer à la vision de ces champs de tombes à perte de vue, bien rangés, bien propres, qui vous frappent d’horreur et vous font prendre conscience de la réalité et de l’absurdité de ces affrontements.
La visite commence par un petit musée, très intéressant et qui constitue une sorte d’étape d’initiation entre le le monde réel (le parking.) et le cimetière. On sort du musée conscient de ce qu’on va apercevoir, de ce que cela signifie, et lorsqu’enfin le cimetière se dévoile on se trouve dans un état incroyablement apaisé, juste triste, renforcé par le calme des gens et la seule vue de la plage et de la mer. C’est très beau, très calme, et très choquant.

Hard to put this into words. After a full day of seeing museums and battlefields, we ended here. There’s nothing that can quite prepare you for the emotion you’ll feel when you first see the endless rows of crosses.
In a way, it’s almost more impactful than Arlington — to immerse yourself in the history of the war all day, trying to appreciate the sacrifice, and then seeing one of the most perfectly manicured, awe inspiring American cemeteries (in a foreign country, no less) is really just incredible. You could hear a pin drop anywhere on the grounds.
At the entrance, there’s a huge memorial with a statue and two marble diagrams showing the movement of troops on D-​Day and throughout the war. Then, it’s acres of headstones and park land, with a small chapel in the middle. You can also walk a long trail down to the beach.
There are roughly 8,500 people buried here, and another 1,500 inscribed on a wall for the missing. For the headstones, Christians (along with other religions, atheists and the unknown) have crosses. Jews have Stars of David.
We were told that two of the Ryan brothers (from the movie) are buried near the chapel, but we couldn’t find them. The best thing to do here is just walk around for hours and take in what you’re seeing. Highly recommended.

Stunningly beautiful and humbling final resting place for the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. Elegant and simple, in a magnificent setting overlooking Omaha Beach. The newer museum is quite interesting. A must-​see when visiting Normandy.
P. S. This is the cemetery from the beginning and end of «Saving Private Ryan».

C’est surtout un immense hommage aux neuf mille jeunes soldats morts dans des conditions terribles.
L’alignement des tombes et l’entretient du site est impressionnant.
Une chose très impressionnante; sur certaines tombes il est écrit, le reste d’un corps, qu’il repose en paix.
Autrement le site se situe a trois cent mètres de hauteurs et a cinq cent mètres de la plage. C’est une pente douce et longue. Et cette vue sur l’océan, les allemands l’avaient, et d’ou on comprend mieux la difficulté des soldats pour accéder aux casemates. Et le nombre élevé de pertes.
Contrairement aux autres plages, ou, en face de la plage, il n’y avaient pas des collines aussi grandes.
Autrement il y avaient beaucoup de monde, beaucoup de touristes.

Difficile de né pas être touché par ces milliers de croix blanches tournées vers l’ouest (9387 exactement) Les familles américaines ont eu la possibilité après guerre de rapatrier leurs morts: 40% des familles ont choisi de laisser les défunts en Normandie. Le site de 70 ha est superbement aménagé, il surplombe la plage d’Omaha Beach. Le site est un territoire américain et çà se voit: l’organisation est quasi militaire, on a vraiment l’impression d’être aux États Unis ! Profitez des visites gratuites organisées alternativement en français et en anglais via le Visitor’s Center.

Cimetière très impressionnant, et immense .
Cette visite peut faire suite à un parcours thématique sur le Débarquement: un musée (Quinéville, Utah Beach), une batterie (Azeville), un cimetière .
Par contre, pas assez de temps pour le faire après le Mémorial de Caen. Les élèves ont la tête farcie.

The heaviest casualties of D day were incurred at Omaha and the American cemetery at Coleville sur Mer overlooks the cliffs where much of the fighting occured. The cemetery is spread over a 172 acre site and has nearly 10 thousand burials. As you enter the cemetery there is a time capsule which is buried and will be opened in june 2044. Within the cemetery there is a amazing bronze statue respresenting the spirit of american youth. This is a very poignant place and is definitely worth a visit. I did not have any personal reasons for going there but was highly moved by what I saw.

In memoriam
Beaucoup d’émotions et de recueillement. La majesté des lieux, l’alignement des croix, étoiles et lunes, le vert de la pelouse associée au bleu de la mer, font de cette visite une plongée dans un autre espace-​temps. Beaucoup de touristes en saison, allez-​y en hiver sous la neige, ce moment restera gravé dans vos mémoires.

Tout simplement beau
Sur la route du «débarquement», le cimetière américain de Colleville est un passage obligatoire. Il y règne une atmosphère vraiment particulière et l’espace d’un instant nous nous retrouvons plongés dans «il faut sauver le soldat Ryan»… Les monuments du site sont magnifiques et les espaces verts entretenus avec un très grand soin. Impressionnant !

I’m not really into visiting cemeteries, but as an American travelling in France, this seemed like a requirement. Immaculate grounds looks like something out of Alice in Wonderland with pathways lined with cones and cylinder pruned trees. Expansive meadows of perfectly aligned white crosses and, as I discovered, white stars of David. A central courtyard brings you the memorial part — a neoclassical rotunda with mosaics of the battle maps for the D-​Day invasion of Normandy. An art deco behemoth sculpture sits in the center, which seems to allude to rebirth. Newly renovated visitors center when we visited.
The grounds are situated on a bluff overlooking Omaha beach. If you explore the bluff outside the cemetery grounds you can find abandoned bunkers go inside them. A separate visit to Omaha Beach at ground level is quite nice with a large, modern sculpture situated there as well. Not much else to do in the area, but I thought it was an outstanding and moving experience. I was thinking about skipping this — I would have deeply regretted that.