AND NOW IN CONCLUSION..............

And now the story comes to an end

At the risk of sometimes repeating myself in previous posts let me express the following

Firstly, I have realized my dreams of touring these areas. All the places and events I read and heard about since I was a youngster have come to life for me, towns like St Mere-Iglese, Benouville, Omaha Beach, Pont-du-Hoc, Bastogne, St Vith are indelibly printed in my memory and I can now picture in my mind how events occurred during the battles.

Seeing the equipment and the tools of war at the museums was quite a different experience to seeing them in pictures – the King Tiger tank at La Glaize was an absolute thrill – there are not many of those left around. The diaramas, explanations and films shown at the museums were extremely informative and have given me a far better understanding of the history. To walk through the forests at Bastogne and see the foxholes used by the soldiers was very special and humbling, knowing exactly what kind of hell these men went through.

Visiting the military cemeteries of the protagonists was also very emotional for me. To see the graves of so many young men who lost their lives is sad and the words of Pete Seeger’s anti-war song “Where have All the Flowers Gone?” came to mind. Disregarding whom they fought for, each one had a life, was part of a family, was someone’s friend and had hopes for the future. The sheer scale of the killing was unbelievable – 4,500 Americans killed in 24 hours on Omaha alone. And we are not even talking about the civilians who died in the mayhem.

However, as a Jew, I can only but eternally thank the soldiers of the Allied forces who gave up their lives in order that an evil empire be destroyed. They should be forever honoured and remembered and I am pleased that I had the opportunity to pay homage to them.

The nature of life is that things go on. Both Normandy and the Ardennes have been fully restored to their former beauty. Their citizens, leading good lives and enjoying the fruits of freedom and vibrant economies, are proof of the circle of life.

Did this trip meet my expectations? Yes – 5 thumbs up. I can recommend it to anyone considering visiting these areas but with one provisor – do some reading up on the history of WWII before you go. You don’t have to become a military boffin but it would mean more to you if you had a basic general knowledge of the events before visiting these areas.

I wouldn’t like to attempt a similar tour in the future – it was physically very demanding, entailed much driving, a lot of walking and much concentration. Next trip will be to some beach where we can relax under an umbrella and evaluate the shells on the seashore.

In conclusion thank you for keeping up with this blog and I certainly hope that it was of interest to you.