A Moment of Silence
Posted by: Scott W. Graves | 07/02/2008 9:49 AM
I just returned from a brief trip to Normandy, France where I joined Citizens United as they filmed the last bit of footage needed for their forthcoming movie, Rendezvous with Destiny. The movie is about Reagan and includes footage from his speech at Pointe du Hoc in 1984.
Before the shoot, I joined about a dozen folks for an excursion to the the American cemetery. I was not prepared for how moving it would be and I am not a skilled enough writer to convey why. Over and over again, I found myself saying "Thank you" as I looked out over the more than nine thousand white crosses.
It was interesting to note that we arrived together as a group, but quickly found our own space and walked at our own pace. It was eerily quiet for a site with so many visitors. I strongly encourage you to make the journey should you ever find yourself in that part of the world.
Here are two pictures that seemed to capture the moment.
A quote from General Mark W. Clark inscribed on a granite memorial at the American cemetery:
Before the shoot, I joined about a dozen folks for an excursion to the the American cemetery. I was not prepared for how moving it would be and I am not a skilled enough writer to convey why. Over and over again, I found myself saying "Thank you" as I looked out over the more than nine thousand white crosses.
It was interesting to note that we arrived together as a group, but quickly found our own space and walked at our own pace. It was eerily quiet for a site with so many visitors. I strongly encourage you to make the journey should you ever find yourself in that part of the world.
Here are two pictures that seemed to capture the moment.
A quote from General Mark W. Clark inscribed on a granite memorial at the American cemetery:
"If ever proof was needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest, it could be found in these cemeteries. Here was our only conquest: All we asked... was enough soil... to bury our gallant dead."
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Great pictures. The bravery and sacrifice of those soldiers should never be forgotten. That Reagan speech was one of his very best. Several of the men who stormed the beach 40 years prior were in attendance. Here's a great clip. http://youtube.com/watch?v=rBeyZAmmJNg
I also visited Normandy in the 1980s, and it was one of the most moving experiences in my life. When you walk down the hill to the beach, you imagined the soldiers charging up in the opposite direction.
When you walk in the cemetery, you know that those young men died for a cause.