Hoosier Cruiser

May 3, 2026

Our only stop in France was at the port of Le Havre. Some tours went all the way to Paris, but I chose to visit the sites of the D-Day landings in Normandy and the American Cemetery

Our first stop was Omaha Beach, where we saw remnants of German defenses and a memorial to the Bedford Boys, 19 members of a small town Virginia National Guard unit who were killed in the initial assault. From there we traveled to the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha Beach. With nearly 9400 Americans interred here, it’s distressing to learn that there are ten other American cemeteries in France and one even larger than Normandy. As visitors, we were restricted to paths bordering the perfectly aligned grave markers all facing west. Only family members may visit their loved one’s gravesite. Next we traveled thru several nearby villages all having some memorial or remembrance of the Americans who liberated them from the Nazis. Our lunch break was at Arromanches, site of Gold Beach and one of two artificial harbors created to support the invasion. Before returning to the ship, we toured the D-Day Museum here.