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MOR�N AIR BASE, Spain – The waves crashed onto Normandy
beach and the wind blew strong, waving flags displayed near
the monuments, as U.S. Marines and Sailors visited the
sites, remembering the thousands of men who fought and died
in the Allied Invasion of Normandy during World War II.
U.S. Marines and Sailors with
SPMAGTF-Crisis Response-Africa pose for a photo in front of a
memorial on Utah beach for fallen soldiers of the 1st Engineer
Special Brigade, who gave their lives during the Allied Invasion of
Normandy, Normandy, France, Dec. 28, 2014. Marines and Sailors from
SPMAGTF-Crisis Response-Africa visited Normandy to learn more about
the history behind D-Day, including the invasion timeline, tactics,
routes used by the soldiers. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jeraco
Jenkins) |
The Marines and Sailors were assigned to Special Purpose
Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response - Africa. They
visited historical sites in Normandy, France, from Dec.
27-28, 2014, as part of a professional military education
battlefield study of the Allied Invasion of Normandy,
commonly known as D-Day. While there, they visited Omaha
Beach, Utah Beach, and the Normandy American Cemetery and
Memorial.
The first day was spent on Omaha Beach,
where the Marines and Sailors were able to walk the coast,
observe the landing sites from German defensive positions,
and tour the gravesites of the Normandy American Cemetery
and Memorial. On the second day, the Marines and Sailors
visited the site of the famed Ranger assault at Pointe du
Hoc, toured the memorials and museum at Utah Beach, and
drove through the drop zones used by the 82nd and 101st
Airborne Divisions.
One Marine, Cpl. Robert Bowden,
an infantryman assigned to SPMAGTF-CR-AF, found a personal
link to D-Day on his visit. His great-uncle, Pvt. Barney B.
Bowden, was a member of the 313th Infantry Regiment 79th
Infantry Division. Pvt. Bowden fought heroically against the
Nazi German Army and died on June 7, 1944, being
posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
“When I told my father about our opportunity to visit
Normandy, he told me to look for my great uncle,” said
Bowden. “I looked for his name at visitor's center and was
able to find his headstone where I said a little prayer and
thought about what he did that day.”
When asked about
the overall experience of visiting Normandy, Bowden
responded, “When we went to Omaha beach I was able to get
some sand and stop to think. I was humbled thinking about
all the soldiers fought on the very sand I was standing on.”
The battlefield study provided historical context and
enhanced appreciation for the challenges and successes
regarding the Allied landings on Normandy, from the planning
to the execution.
More photos available below
By U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Gerard Farao
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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