Normandy Beach

I sent this email back in November, to a man I shared drinks with in Somerville before leaving for France. When I first told him I was leaving the country, he bought me a drink. Then he gave me a hard time, in good humor, when I told him I was going to teach in English in France, cause he thought I was going as a soldier.
















Hello Sir –

My father gave me your email address so I could send you these pictures, as requested. I didn’t forget. Though you can’t see it in the photos, as you walk among the graves you read the names of the soldiers and state that they were from. The statue at the front of the cemetery represents the youthful energy, hope, and sacrifice of our soldiers. Hopefully these images provide a slight glimpse of the impression one gets when there; I certainly can’t presume to capture it in words.

I drove to the monument and cemetery with two French friends, who both have grandparents who were teenagers during the German occupation. I had Sunday brunch in Brest with one friend’s grandparents and they were happy, even proud, to eat with an American. They still see us as the great liberators. Though I didn’t meet the other friend’s grandparents, we ate dinner at her parents’ house in Normandy and the mother happily told me her father’s story of getting a chocolate bar from a GI.

Thank you for asking me to take these pictures.

I hope you and your family are doing well.

Take care,

- Shawn Kelly