Mannequin of U.S. Army paratrooper John Steele atop church in Mere-Saint-Eglise, Normandy, France.

Jim Clash

In Part 1 of this series on Normandy, France, we covered visits to the two American D-Day beaches, Omaha and Utah, and the many thousands of casualties Allied and German forces suffered as a result of landings there. It is estimated that half-a-million soldiers ultimately paid the price for the Normandy invasion.

Today, we turn our attention to where these brave men were treated medically – and are buried. On my trip with U.S. company European Experiences, some of the cemeteries – all well-ordered and well-maintained – were visited, one by one.

A German soldier buried in Ryes British War Cemetery, Normandy, France.

Jim Clash

The first was Ryes British War Cemetery. The ground here is peppered with row after row of alabaster white headstones. From the inscriptions, it’s obvious these men were young – sadly, in their late teens and early 20s. In addition to the British, surprisingly, is a section where Germans are buried. It seems the French were diligent regarding all who had died in their country at the hands of the insane guidance of Adolf Hitler. Good on them.

Some gravestones are unmarked, unknown soldiers, if you will. Their remains were either so badly decomposed to be identified, or perhaps their dog tags were missing. This was a somber visit, and our group was reverent, hushed. I found it difficult taking photos, but did manage a few for this story.

WWII Polish cemetery Grainville-Langannerie, Normandy, France.

Jim Clash

Another cemetery visited was that of the Polish, Grainville-Langannerie. Many don’t realize this, but the Poles fought alongside other Allied forces against the Nazis. A total of 696 soldiers are buried in this little-visited parcel of sacred land.

The largest cemetery we visited was the Normandy American Cemetery. A total of 9,387 Americans are buried there, again all with white gravestones, and again, all in neat rows – a stark counterpoint to the disorganized fog of WWII. The land appropriately overlooks Omaha Beach where many of the D-Day Americans lost their lives.

Normandy American Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach. Some 9,387 U.S. soldiers are buried there, Normandy, France.

Jim Clash

A museum stands guard at the entrance, chock full of arresting relics – soldiers’ helmets, parachutes, armored vehicles and so on. There is also a short movie showing actual black-and-white footage of the Normandy assault, at times hard to watch, which plays a few times per hour.

Along with the cemetery visits were stops at old Catholic churches, some which had acted as temporary aid stations to treat the wounded. One in particular – in Angoville-au-Plain – still has dried blood on its pews. Talk about a graphic reminder of eight decades past.

Blood-stained pew in church Angoville-au-Plain where wounded soldiers were treated during WWII, Normandy, France.

Jim Clash

Another church is in Mere-Saint-Eglise, known for U.S. Army paratrooper John Steele’s parachute tangling in one of its spires. Steele hung there pretending to be dead for two hours before managing to cut the chute lines and make his way to safety. He survived, and lived to age 56.

Stained-glass window in Angoville-au-Plain church commemorates the beginning of the Allied Normandy beach landings on June 6, 1944, France.

Jim Clash

As with the beach visits, the churches and cemeteries reinforced to me the madness of war, and the evil actors who instigate them. WWII was necessary because of a rogue nation trying to corner the world. Rest assured, such anomalies occur from time to time, and all of us – especially the young – must remain vigilant to anticipate – and prevent – them. They can happen, even in America.

ForbesGrim Lessons From Normandy 8 Decades OnBy Jim Clash