Point du Hoc & American Sacrifice

In 2017, Carly and I got married and spent our honeymoon traveling in France and the United Kingdom. We spent our trip seeking out ancient palaces and cathedrals. I was an Art History major for my undergraduate degree, and both Carly and I are architects, so we were excited to see a series of significant and historical sites. We saw the Chateau de Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles and the famous Hall of Mirrors, and Mont Saint Michel. A stop we had to make in northern France was in Normandy, specifically to see Point Du Hoc and the beaches of Normandy where D-Day occurred.

On the day we arrived at Point Du Hoc, it was a quiet morning with no other tourists in sight. We made our way from the parking area to the walking path and walked down to the tops of the cliffs. Along the way, the land is littered with craters from the Allied shelling from some of America’s mightiest warships such as the USS Texas. The craters are covered with manicured grass, providing a serene peacefulness which belies the intensity of the violence in 1944. It is impossible not to feel the weight and significance of the site.

Standing at the top of the cliffs, I stood on the same spot by the granite monument where President Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech in 1984 commemorating the forty year anniversary of the invasion. For those who are unaware, the cliffs of Point du Hoc and the operation by the Army Rangers were among the most dangerous and daring of June 6, 1944. The Rangers scaled the cliffs, under heavy fire from the Nazis above, and over several hours managed to fight and climb their way to the top. Once they were there, they destroyed the Nazi coastal batteries which were raining shells and death on the landing parties.

Point du Hoc and the beaches of Normandy are an interesting experience as an American, because while I know we were in France, it feels like sacred American land due to the patriotic blood that was spilled there that day in 1944. Those Army Rangers scaled the cliffs and destroyed the Nazis, laying the groundwork for what would become the largest and most successful amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. The sacrifices and bravery of the soldiers that day began the process of liberating Europe from the authoritarian Nazi regime.

On this day, June 6, all of us as Americans need to be aware of the sacrifices of the greatest generation and why they gave their blood and lives to the cause of destroying the fascist Nazis. The honor and valor demonstrated by America’s soldiers on D-Day will never be forgotten. If fascist authoritarianism again rears its ugly head in this world, we must remember the actions of our ancestors and the ultimate price America was willing to pay to prevent authoritarianism from taking over the world. It is our duty to never let that sacrifice be in vain.