Reflections on July 17

This day of the tour began with Juno Beach and discussing June 6, 1944. As we were standing on the beach, I was thinking about the soldier I researched for this tour as well as one I had looked at in grade 10. Both died on June 6, 1944. We got into groups and looked at things like what the land was like. We also considered the questions we would have to answer if we were the people in charge of Operation Overlord. From there we went to the Juno Beach Centre. The footage at the opening of the museum put things into perspective on what soldiers would have been thinking about before they left the landing craft. The overall message that the museum seemed to give was that there were really not winners in the war. Later on in the day we went to the area of Pegasus Bridge and saw places like the first house to be liberated by the British in that area. This is an area where the locals try to bring in tourists by advertising things like the first house liberated and souvenir shops. The last part of the day was spent at the Ranville War Cemetery, which was a a cemetery for a large number of paratroopers who died during the Normandy Campaign. Overall this day showed how different locations have chosen how they want to have the early days of the Normandy Campaign remembered. 

​- Submitted by Janelle