Today we went to Gold Beach and learned about the man-made docks that were built far out in the ocean near the beach. At the museum there, we learned more about the landings and how they constructed a floating dock to resupply the troops. We then went to a small fishing village to have lunch, and then proceeded to Omaha Beach and went down onto the sand. There we learned about the waves of men landing, including Ms. Nunley’s great-great-uncle.

Next, we saw some protected artillery guns and went inside their concrete bunkers. We were able to go inside some of them and see the damage inside the protected concrete walls. Most of the damage was due to unset concrete, which made it weaker against bombs.

After that, we went to Pointe du Hoc and were able to go inside an intact bunker there, which the 5th Ranger Battalion climbed to destroy the guns stationed there. There were lots of deep craters in the terrain due to bombing raids by the Allies, which were interesting to see.

That summarizes our day here in Normandy. Tomorrow we are headed to Mont Saint-Michel.

— Kyan Tan '27

Normandy Region D-Day Historical Tour

Hi everyone! After a good night’s rest and some much-needed food, our group left for the first official day in this exciting new country. After meeting our tour guide for the day, Nigel, we began our experience at Gold Beach (one of five beaches the Allies used to invade Nazi-occupied France). We then visited the recently refurbished museum and sought out some morning crêpes!

After a small stop for a picnic lunch, our adventure and exploration moved to the Normandy D-Day Cemetery and Memorial. The space was beautifully kept and honored American soldiers appropriately. We followed that with a walk along Omaha Beach and the surrounding memorials.

After a long and intriguing morning, we finished our tour at the famous Pointe du Hoc, where American Rangers scaled the cliffs to secure major artillery positions and key access points for moving across the rest of France. To end the day, we sat down and enjoyed some delicious ravioli, shepherd’s pie, and exquisite caramel brioche toast!

— Fletcher Oliver '27

Batterie Allmande de Logues-sur-Mer