What a jam packed nine days we experienced in July of 2024 on the second phase of the land and sea trip as part of the Viking River Cruise’s Paris & D-Day’s 80th Anniversary trip.
We had already spent three days in England visiting sites associated with D-Day as well as a bit of basic site-seeing. (https://lasvegas.splashmags.com/index.php/2024/07/d-day-80th-anniversary-marked-on-educational-viking-trip/#gsc.tab=0)
We mixed and mingled with hundreds of travelers at the St. Pancras International train station where we began the 2 ½ hour high speed trip to Paris, enjoying the sites along the way as we gazed out the large windows and enjoyed some snacks.
In Paris, we boarded the 168 passenger longship Radgrid which was docked just a short walk along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower, enabling us to enjoy the view of the iconic tourist site. After spending a day touring Paris and some on board orientation, our group headed downstream on the Seine toward the Normandy beaches.
Our first stop was Vernon, France where about 30 passengers, my self and my wife Dianne included, left the ship for a guided two day overnight trip to Omaha and Utah Beaches, as well as several museums and cemeteries.
UTAH BEACH
Utah Beach which was stormed by the Americans, was the most western of the five beach landings during D-Day. The Fourth Infantry Division faced mild German resistance and few casualties. Our guide Richard Hennig told us that most of the German defenders were conscripts that had little taste for battle. Most of the American troops actually landed on the wrong part of the beach. But, under the direction of General Theodore Roosevelt Jr, they still advanced forward.
Following Utah Beach and its special Museum, we headed to Sainte-Mere-Eglise This town controlled a key cross road. It was necessary to secure it in order to hold off any advance by German soldiers. The task was given to air-borne troops that were dropped at 1:30 A.M. Unfortunately, many missed the drop zones and some landed in the town where they were met with German fire. Readers might remember the scene from the movie The Longest Day in which the character portrayed by Red Buttons landed on the church steeple and was stuck hanging there tethered in his snagged parachute.
POINT DU HOC
After visiting the Airborne Museum , we headed to Pointe du Hoc, a 110 foot high cliff overlooking the English Channel. The Germans were thought to have several large artillery guns enclosed in a bunker there. The area was protected by a series of machine gun nests enclosed in rebar reinforced concrete.
It was the job of the United States Rangers to scale the cliff under heavy German fire and destroy the artillery pieces. They did just that and destroyed several of the concrete fortified machine gun nests in the process. Unfortunately, the Germans had relocated the artillery. But the guns were found nearby and destroyed. This excursion day was well organized to optimize our exposure to these concrete reminders of this part of the historical invasion.
OMAHA BEACH
After spending a night in Novotel, a local French hotel, we headed to Omaha Beach. The Normandy area contains many cemeteries including a German one. The sense of the cemetery radiated Germanic tribe burial. It includes a large burial mound and the crosses at the grave sites can best described as ancient Gothic.
Richard told us that Omaha Beach had become a killing zone during the landings. The Germans had the area well fortified and American troops had to climb a steep hill to reach the Germans.
In fact, most of the Germans defending the area were seasoned veterans. Many American troops lost their lives there, but the beach was eventually secured. Next, American troops had to advance through a series of thick hedgerows filled with German machine gun nests as they advanced up the hill from the beach.
After seeing Omaha Beach and picturing the killing zone, we traveled to the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer,. the final resting place of approximately 9,400 brave Americans. We took part in a memorial service honoring those soldiers. The prime statue at the cemetery depicts the Spirit of American Youth rising to heaven.
We returned to The Viking Radgrid in Rouen, France for dinner and some much needed rest. The next day’s excursion included visits to the beaches and areas where the British and Canadians were active.
PEGASUS BRIDGE
Our day began with a visit to the Pegasus Bridge and museum. The bridge was originally called the Benouville Bridge, but was changed Pegasus to honor the British commando unit that captured it during D-Day. Our guide Shana told us that the commandos under the leadership of Major John Howard arrived at the bridge in three silent gliders.
JUNO BEACH, GOLD BEACH, AND THE RITISH COMMONWEALTH CEMETERY
Next was Juno Beach and the Juno Beach Museum. Here we learned about the Canadian role in the invasion. The beach was heavily fortified by the Germans, and the Canadians faced a great deal of residence. Many of the Canadian soldiers are buried in the Canadian Cemetery.
The British landed at Gold Beach. This beach area contains remains of the ingenious Mulberry Harbors. Our knowledgeable guide Anne told us that these complex engineered structures were developed to enable the allies to quickly offload heavy armament in the various landing area.
Before heading back to our ship, we visited the British Commonwealth Cemetery. Tombstones here honored soldiers from remote locations such as New Zealand and India. A huge cross of sacrifice dominates the cemetery.
DECOMPRESSION TIME
After spending three days visiting war sites, we were ready to decompress on the Radgrid. The next day we visited the quaint rural town of Les Andeleys and spent the following day on a guided tour of Paris. The highlight of this part of the trip was a night cruise on the Seine. Because this was just weeks before the Olympics, the Olympic Rings adored the side of the Eiffel Tower.
We chose this itinerary to see first hand and learn more about D Day. The experience lived up to our high expectations. This trip was the most intense we have experienced. Dawn to dusk every day for sure. We came home tired, but much more knowledgeable. We plan to take Viking’s Paris and The Heart of Normandy Cruise in the future and spend more time seeing the sights along The Seine and in Paris.
Article by Dianne Davis and Burt Davis Photos by Burt Davis or Dianne Davis
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