Caleb and I spent some quality boy time away from the girls last week on a campout to Normandy (yes, Normandy in France). When our Scout troop first mentioned the event at the end of last year we jumped at the chance to be part of such a great opportunity. What we didn’t understand then is that we would be part of something historic and grand.
But first we had to get there, which really wasn’t that bad. We drove to Portsmouth in the south (less than 2 hours), rode a night ferry to Caen, France and then drove a short distance to our campground (we could have taken a faster ferry, but decided to get some sleep on the boat). The camp was located within walking distance of the beach and very central to all the sights we visited over the next three days.
We enjoyed spending time with our troop and others that we met in camp. We are part of the Transatlantic Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which means there were about 3,000 Americans visiting from all over Europe.
Besides the usual camping, we toured museums and saw historical sites. The church below is one example that keeps a replica of John Steele, who landed as a paratrooper and became stuck on the steeple in Sainte-Mere-Eglise (the first village liberated by Americans on D-Day). He pretended to be dead for two hours until the Germans captured him and he later escaped.
We visited Omaha Beach and the cliffs above Utah Beach, where the American forces landed on June 6, 1944 or D-Day. We were amazed to see many of the original bomb craters and rubble left as it was after the invasion, as well as walk along the beach and gain a perspective of its width – exposing the Allied forces to incessant enemy fire.
While at Omaha Beach we joined the Scout group to spell a message “Normandie Land of Liberty” in an effort to have these beaches listed as part of UNESCO’s World Heritage, where we also heard from Normandy veterans.
We finished our trip with a visit to American land (it felt good to be back for a little bit) at the Normandy American Cemetery where the Scouts held a ceremony to commemorate the sacrifice so many gave for freedom.
That’s got to be the coolest place to have scout camp ever!!!
Fun! We find that the best Scout trips have some history involved. So far, Matt has hiked/camped at lots of Revolutionary War battlefield sites…so many, in fact, that two recent Social Studies chapters were a breeze for him because he knew all about the battles and generals. Next up is a trip to Antietam on Columbus Day weekend for a little Civil War history.