A Trip in Tribute
Words and Photographs by Duane Harris
Crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery
It’s a moment I will never forget. Carol and I stood at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, facing 9,387 white marble Latin crosses and Stars of David as we listened to our national anthem. We then turned and faced the glorious 22-foot bronze statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves” as we listened to the playing of “Taps.” There wasn’t a dry eye among us. Our Viking cruise hosts had given each of our 80 strong a rose to lay at the base of the statue where the words read “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord.” It was such a beautiful touch.
Spirit of American Youth Arising From the Waves
This trip had been planned with one goal in mind: to visit Normandy and the cemeteries to give tribute to our brave warriors who paid the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Overlord and the European battles that followed. My dad was a career Air Force officer who served in England during WW II. Carol’s dad was a career Navy pilot. We had arrived in Normandy following a two-hour bus ride from Rouen where our boat, Viking Kadlin, was docked. This was our fifth day on board the ship on a journey that had begun in Paris the prior Friday.
Upon disembarking our Air France flight at Paris-De Gaulle Airport, we were met by a Viking representative and delivered to our boat, 50 minutes away in Le Pecq. In the past, Viking docked on the Seine in downtown Paris; however, the new Viking Longships are too big to dock there. Thus, their new mooring site is now in Le Pecq. The following day we explored Paris by taking the optional excursion, “Highlights of Paris and the Louvre.” After a short stop at the Eiffel Tower, we motored to Notre-Dame Cathedral and spent an hour there followed by lunch in a French restaurant. (It was, after all, a restaurant in France!) Our Louvre guide was excellent and took us to the main statues and paintings housed in the museum. We visited the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo among other fabulous works of art.
1 of 4
Eiffel Tower
2 of 4
French cafe
3 of 4
The Louvre
4 of 4
Mona Lisa
That evening, our ship departed Le Pecq for Vernon. The highlight of our stay in Vernon was a tour of Giverny and artist Claude Monet’s beautiful gardens. We then had time to walk through Giverny and visit Monet’s gravesite in the cemetery of L’Eglise Sainte-Radegonde, a church built in the 11th and 12th centuries. That afternoon we took a walking tour through the medieval town of Vernon, visiting the Collegiate Church built between the 11th and 17th centuries.
1 of 3
Gardens at Giverny
2 of 3
Monet's gravesite
3 of 3
L’Eglise Sainte-Radegonde
The next day we arrived in Rouen and following breakfast attended a presentation on Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, and patron saint of France. That afternoon we enjoyed a walking tour of Rouen, historic capitol of Normandy. Because of the number of churches in Rouen, it is known as “the City of a Hundred Spires.” We toured two cathedrals, both spectacular, and ended our tour at the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She was just 19 years old.
1 of 2
Rouen, France
2 of 2
A chateau in Rouen
After arriving in Normandy on Tuesday, we first stopped in Arromanches-les-Bains, where we observed the remains of a prefabricated harbor known as Mulberry B, designed to assist in landing Allied supplies. Following lunch at a wonderful restaurant in Arromanches, we drove to Longues-sur-Mer where we observed some of the German batteries which rained hell down on allied troops on D-Day. A historically important site, it is protected and managed by Conservatoire du littoral, to protect its history and biodiversity.
Following our visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where we had experienced the emotional ceremony by the crosses that I described earlier, we drove the length of Omaha Beach, stopping at a memorial entitled “Les Braves,” by Anilore Banon, and dedicated on the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings. From Howard H. Leach, U.S. Ambassador to France: “’The Braves,’ will serve as a significant tribute to the courage of the Allied Forces soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the liberty of our peoples and as a reminder to coming generations that those who died did so in defense of our shared values of tolerance and freedom. The spirit of those who sacrificed so much will rise through the waters and linger in our collective memories thanks to your sculpture.”
The next day we arrived at Les Andelys where we walked up a long hill to visit Chateau Gaillard, the fortress built by Richard the Lionhearted in the 12th Century. Richard I was king of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. Chateau Gaillard was built in under two years, instead of the typical ten and was a century ahead of its time in terms of innovations according to historians. His heart is buried in a tomb at Rouen Cathedral.
The last day in France was a tour of the Palace of Versailles, former home of Louis XIV. One of the most interesting elements of the palace is the Petit Trianon, a small chateau and garden given to Marie Antoinette by her husband, Louis XVI. Extravagant is the only way to describe Versailles.
Duane and Carol with their shipmates
While we saw many amazing sights in France, Carol and I had truly made this trip in honor of our fathers and as a tribute to their service. We are so glad to have had that opportunity and that we were able to pay our respects to the many valiant soldiers who paid the ultimate price on the beaches of Normandy and on this foreign soil.
