{"id":7991,"date":"2012-06-11T01:16:18","date_gmt":"2012-06-11T08:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/?p=7991"},"modified":"2012-07-18T17:12:03","modified_gmt":"2012-07-19T00:12:03","slug":"venez-avec-moi-en-normandie-omaha-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/venez-avec-moi-en-normandie-omaha-beach","title":{"rendered":"venez avec moi en Normandie: Omaha Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Normandie:<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

venez avec moi en Normandie: Omaha Beach,<\/em><\/span><\/strong>
\n a war approach to food, and making the most of a peach<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This last week marked the 68th anniversary of the day the Allies landed in Normandy, France: D-day, June 6, 1944<\/span>. En route to the D-Day sites<\/span>, the flags of the Allied forces are flown along the roads and posted everywhere from public buildings to the windows of the small country farmhouses, particularly in the month of June. You cannot come to Normandy <\/span>and tell me that the French dislike Americans. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"American<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

My uncles fought in World War II. My father is also a war veteran. I read and re-read Stephen Ambrose’s book D-Day<\/span><\/em> and Cornelius Ryan\u2019s The Longest Day<\/span><\/em>. I have seen Saving Private Ryan<\/span> <\/em>and Band of Brothers<\/span><\/em> more times than I can count but I have always wanted the touch the ground we landed on 68 years ago. <\/span>One summer after teaching classes in Normandy, I finally did. <\/span>The inspiration for this week\u2019s simple pleasure,<\/em> soupe de p\u00eaches au gingembre frais <\/em><\/span>(peach \u201csoup\u201d with fresh ginger), was my journey to Omaha Beach<\/span>. The recipe is in a companion post but before you go there, venez avec moi en Normandie <\/em><\/span>(come with me to Normandy): <\/em>Omaha Beach.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 LM<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Normandie:<\/a><\/p>\n

 background of D-Day<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 In 1943, several countries decided to make coordinated landings by sea and air on the northern coast of Basse-Normandie <\/em><\/span>in the spring of 1944. The mission was called \u201cOverload.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

To create confusion, there would be a bombardment, 45 minutes prior to the landings, of Germany\u2019s \u201cAtlantic Wall\u201d (non-connecting fortifications built by the Todt organization for the Germans). The air landings had to be done in a full moon (so the paras could see) and the landings by sea needed to occur midway through a rising tide (due to the water depth and the spikes planted underwater). To ensure an element of surprise, the bombardment had to occur in the very first light of dawn. To meet the conditions of moon, daybreak, timing, and tide, the attack had to occur between June 5-7 1944. Overload was ultimately implemented on June 6, 1944. <\/span><\/p>\n

There were two airborne attacks (by three divisions) via glider and parachutes: (1) the American attack (to protect the Utah Beach landing)<\/em>; and (2) the British attack (to protect against a Germain counter-attack between the Caen Plain<\/em><\/span> and the Dives Marshes<\/span>)<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beginning at 6:30 a.m.,135,000 men (and about 20,000 trucks) landed on five beaches in Normandy. The beaches were designated: \u201cUtah\u201d  (Sainte-Marie-du-Mont<\/span>); \u201cOmaha\u201d (Colleville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer<\/span><\/em> and Vierville<\/span>); \u201c<\/em>Gold\u201d (Ver-sur-Mer<\/span>);  “<\/em>Juno” (Courseulles-sur-Mer<\/span>);<\/em> and \u201cSword\u201d (Saint-Aubin-sur<\/span>-Mer<\/span> to Ouistreham)<\/span>. <\/em>The American troops landed on Utah and Omaha, the British landed on Gold and Sword, and the Canadians landed on <\/em>Juno. The greatest losses were suffered at Omaha Beach. From the beaches, the intended targets were the cities of Caen, Bayeaux, Isigny,<\/em><\/span> and Carentan. <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The battle of Normandy lasted 3 months.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Normandie:<\/a><\/p>\n

 overview of the D-Day sites <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are 29 D-Day sites which include Atlantic Wall sites, landing and battle sites, museums, and cemeteries. For purposes of planning a trip, know that the majority of these sites line the north coast of Basse-Normandy<\/span><\/em><\/span> in between Cherbourg<\/span><\/em><\/span> (at the most northern \/western point) to Mont Canisy<\/span><\/em><\/span> furthest east (just west of Honfleur<\/em><\/span> and Pont l\u2019Ev\u00e9que<\/span>)<\/em>. There are five D-Day sites which lay south of this west-east route and include:<\/span><\/p>\n