The Normandy American Cemetery is one of 14 permanent American WWII military cemeteries on foreign soil.  France granted use of this land in perpetuity which sits just above Omaha Beach.  There are five beaches where the allies landed and launched their assaults:  Utah and Omaha by Americans, Gold and Sword beaches by the British and Juno beach by the Canadians.  There are memorials and cemeteries spread all around this area.

The museum has displays explaining the decisions and planning that went into the assault to liberate France and also tells many stories of individual soldiers.  There are several short films.  The museum, monuments, and grounds are so perfectly designed and immaculately maintained.  Gardeners were out blowing every little leaf off the grass. The base of every tree, shrub, and all edging is trimmed to absolute perfection.
 
 
                                    Omaha Beach

There are 9387 headstones at this cemetery. 41 are sets of brothers.

There is a circular wall around this monument engraved with the names of all the soldiers whose remains were never found.

Many of the villages in the area fly the allied flags. 

Several houses have metal X’s on them and I wonder if this marks damage from the war.  Also, what is curious, is that all the villages along the stretch of road where the beaches are have not been modernized or spruced up like we have seen all over the rest of France.