D Day + 2

Today was all about the American input at Utah and Omaha beach. The Rangers, the Parachuters...) If you look at the top left of the Church you can see John Steele playing dead (obviously not him, but a mannequin they put up each year).

When we arrived at Omaha beach it was packed with families frolicking in the water. Our guide, Colonol Christopher…. said his first reaction is how unfitting it felt when describing the scenes of June 6th, but then he realised that this is exactly what the people were fighting for.

The landings at Omaha went distariously wrong on all counts and had a huge proprtion of deaths in comparison to the other landings. (Those who survived eventually went on to do great things).

We went to the German War cemetery…. Very dark and gothic… The top photo shows someone who killed about 20 allied men in five minutes. The flowers made me sick, Out of every grave there this was the most decorated. People on the tour with me said it was because he was strong; fighting for his people. But you know what...??? We weren't aggressive. We weren't trying to take France. We were trying to save ourselves. And though these men were just people; single men, don't dare try to make the 'struggles' the same. Aggressor and defenser. NOT the same.

I prefer our War graves.  The American one, was, and no offernce meant to Americans; American. Grand, HUGE (140 acres for approximately 9000 graves). Again, and not because of my nationality, I prefer the British graves. Each grave is more personal and the smaller cemetaries mean they were buried with their comrades nearer the place of death,  places they were trying to fight for.

It got me thinking today of both the egotistical arrogance (is there any other kind?) of the British and the Americans. As separate nations. Of course this is a mass generalisation, but I hear it from slightly smarter people than I would expect it from. What we achieved in the end was due to a huge number of peoples, of various nations, working together. Yes, the American’s didn’t have to come and liberate Europe, but then with the Germans not in the UK (aside from the Channel Islands) and with their main war on the Eastern Front... did we? (I realise I am being far too simplistic). But of course it was necessary, but considering the way the US handled communism with McCarthyism I hardly think a German occupied Europe, including Great Britain (or even larger Communist Bloc) would have been to their liking… and most likely would have just left them to fight an even bigger, more horrifc war in years to come.  I just think some humility wouldn't go amiss (especially when most of the people that make these claims of superiority had nothing to do with the war in the first place).