At 6:30 AM on the
morning of June 6, 1944, 19 year old Hal Baumgarten saw before him a huge
seawall at the foot of a massive bluff. As his landing craft approached the
beach, a shell blew up the boat to his left, and Hal and his comrades were
showered with wood, metal and body parts. As their ramp was lowered, German MG
42s let loose. Many of Hal’s 30 buddies of the 116th Regiment of the
29th Infantry Division were mowed down as they tried to exit the
LCA. Hal stepped forward into neck deep water, already blood-red. He had
arrived on Omaha Beach.
A bullet tore
through his helmet. A second one smashed into his rifle. Then a fragment from
an 88 mm shell shattered his upper jaw and tore his lip in two. Hal struggled
to stay conscious. He remembers, “The water was rising about an inch a minute
as the tide was coming in, so I had to get moving or drown. I had to reach a
15-ft. seawall, which appeared to be 200 yards in front of me. Finally, I came
to dry sand, and there was only another 100 yards or maybe less to go, and I
started across the sand, crawling very fast. The Germans in the pillbox on the
right flank were shooting up the sand all about me. I expected a bullet to rip
through me at any moment. I reached the stone wall without further injury. I
was now safe from the flat-trajectory weapons of the enemy. All I had to fear
now were enemy mines and artillery shells.” More wounds were to come, but
amazingly Hal survived and now, 64 years later, he will go with us again to Normandy to
tell the story of his unit’s sacrificial landing at Omaha Beach. This
will be history presented in its most real and vivid form.
Hal was a part of the largest air, land and sea operation ever
undertaken. Due to skillful planning and
preparation, and to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces,
Fortress Europe was breached. The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000
airplanes and over 150,000 service men. When it was over, the Allied Forces had
suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 dead.
Our
September, 2007 tour of Normandy with Hal Baumgarten may have been our most moving tour
ever. As we stood with Hal on Omaha Beach and listened spellbound as he described landing on
that very spot while his comrades were cut to pieces around him, there was not
a dry eye among us. This experience convinced us that we must present another
trip to Normandy with Hal - so that others can be as enriched and
moved as we have been.
Our
2008 program will begin early Monday afternoon, September 15 as we collect
arriving attendees at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris. From
there we will travel by luxury coach driven by our European Director of
Transportation,
Frans Peiten, and go directly to the Novetel Bayeux hotel on the edge of the old village of Bayeux, situated in the heart of the Normandy beaches. (If you do not want to meet us at Charles de Gaulle airport, you can take a train directly to Bayeux). That evening we will gather for a welcome dinner
and tour orientation. On Tuesday, we will begin at the starting point for the D-Day invasion - Pegasus Bridge - where forces of the British 6th Airborne Division dropped in by gliders and succeeded in capturing the bridge to secure the eastern flank of the invasion.We’ll have lunch at the Gondree Cafe, the first building liberated by the Allies. Chances are we will be served by Madame Gondree herself, daughter of the first French citizens freed by British forces. We will then visit the village of Ranville, captured on the morning of June 6 by units of the 6th Airborne, and the British cemetery located therein.
On Wednesday, we will examine the critical actions of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions at Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Sainte-Marie du Mont, Dead Man’s Corner and Carentan, and we’ll visit the excellent
Dead Man’s Corner Museum, operated by airborne expert, Michel de Trez.
On Thursday, we will begin
our focus on the amphibious actions with a  tour of Utah Beach. We will stand atop the 100 foot high battle-scarred cliffs
of Pointe du Hoc, that were scaled with ropes and ladders by men of the
2nd Ranger battalion while under heavy fire. We
will end that day with an inspection of the mighty 150-mm gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer,
the only battery in the region to have kept its guns.
On Friday, we’ll study the advances of the Allies at Gold Beach (British), Juno Beach (Canadian) and Sword (British). In the afternoon, we will visit Arromanches to see the remains of one of
the Mulberry Harbours Churchill had towed cross-Channel to aid the
invasion. and visit both the D-Day Landing Museum and the Arromanches 360 Theater.
Saturday will be the highlight of our tour as we visit Omaha Beach. Hal will take us back in time as he describes in gripping detail what he and his fellow
infantrymen experienced as they landed and advanced on this bloodiest of the
beaches at Normandy. We’ll end the day in quiet contemplation at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer, above Omaha Beach, where
the remains of nearly 10,000 servicemen who died during the Normandy Campaign lie at rest.
On Sunday, we’ll visit the La Chapelle de la Madeleine in St. Lo, the memorial to the 29th and 35th Infantry Divisions that liberated that ancient town. We will be welcomed there by some of the cititizens who maintain the memorial including a man who, as a child, witnessed the fierce fighting that preceeded the liberation. On our way to Bayeux, we'll visit the German cemetery at La Camba and then spend the balance of the day in Bayeux. You will be free to visit the Battle of Normandy Memorial
Museum and the British cemetery, and afterwards, you’ll be free to
stroll about Bayeux and view the legendary Bayeux Tapestry if you like.
On Monday, we will check out of our hotel in Bayeux and return to Paris. In mid-afternoon, we will
book into the Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel hotel that offers an excellent view of the famed tower, and you will be free to spend the evening as you like in the City of Light. On Tuesday, September 23, you can fly home, or continue your journey in Europe
We
have assembled an outstanding team of historians to join Hal Baumgarten in leading
this tour. Through their combined efforts, you will gain a comprehensive
understanding of the landings, battles, soldiers and commanders that were a
part of this greatest of invasions. You will receive a bound, detailed map &
information book. On two of our evenings, we’ll enjoy dinner together at
our hotel just outside Port-En-Bessin. On the other evenings you may chose to dine
at the hotel, or walk (or catch a ride in our staff van) into the heart of the
old fishing harbor village with its charming restaurants and cafes. Throughout
your stay, you will enjoy delicious regional cuisine, have time for shopping,
and meet friendly local people. You will visit beautiful beaches, informative
museums, quaint hamlets and quiet cemeteries that belie the ghastly combat that
raged across Normandy some 60 years ago. Most importantly, you will come to
more fully appreciate the heroism and sacrifices of the thousands of men who
helped topple Hitler’s dreams - men such as Hal Baumgarten, back again at Omaha
Beach, remembering those who died by his side.
This
tour presents the rarest of opportunities - to visit Normandy with
a man who fought and bled there and lived to tell of it. As the years pass such
an opportunity will pass too. So we encourage you to sign on now. This tour
is limited to one bus and it will fill up fast. We hope you’ll climb
aboard!
ABOUT OUR TOUR LEADERS
DR.
HAROLD BAUMGARTEN was drafted into
the Army at age eighteen and was assigned to the 116th Infantry Regiment of the
29th Infantry Division. On the morning of June 6, 1944, Baumgarten
landed in front of the Vierville draw at the Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach.
In the hours that followed, he was wounded four times as he worked his way up
the bluffs. While on a stretcher awaiting evacuation, he received a fifth and
nearly fatal wound. He would live to write D-Day Survivor: An Autobiography so that the brave young men who lost their lives on Omaha Beach would
always be remembered.
Baumgarten’s
story has been featured in more than 40 books on D-Day, and has been reported
on in People, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today and other newspapers
in the United States. He has appeared on National Public Radio’s Morning
Edition and been interviewed by Tom Brokaw on NBC. He has also been interviewed
on CNN, CBS, The History Channel and networks in France, Austria, and Germany.
COL.
ROBERT J. DALESSANDRO, USA is
Director of the United States Army Heritage and Education Center, United States Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Organization
and Insignia of the American Expeditionary Force, 1917-1923 and serves as
an advisor to the Normandy American Cemetery Interpretive Center at Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
COL. CURTIS P. CHEESEMAN, USA is Chief Information Officer at Carlisle Barracks at the
U. S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. Previously, he was assigned to U.S.
Central Command and was responsible for all headquarters automation and
communication support for the Tampa Headquarters as well as the forward headquarters
in Qatar. He is a veteran tour leader of the Normandy beaches.
DEAN
ARMSTRONG is an airline pilot with
Northwest Airlines and an expert on the landings at Utah Beach during the
Normandy Campaign.
DARREN
MORAN is Vice President - Wealth
Management for Citigroup Smith-Barney in Naples, Florida, He is a long-time
student of the Normandy Campaign and World War II in Europe
MICHEL
DE TREZ is a Belgian native and the
author of many books including At the Point of No Return: Pictorial History
of the American Paratroopers in the Invasion of Normandy, Sainte-Mere-Eglise
– Photographs of D-Day and Cpl Forrest Guth: ‘E’ Company, 506 PIR, 101st Airborne Division.
Here are some testimonials
from our Normandy tour of September 6-13, 2007:
“No matter how much you have read about D-Day, until you experience being with all the staff, explaining and showing you what happened and where, you really can’t get a true understanding. Having Dr. Hal relate his experiences still sends shivers down my spine.” – Bill Shewey, Richmond, Virginia
“The Normandy trip was an all around success. The weather, the country, the guides, the people, were all great.” – Gary and Denise Charette, Cheshire, Connecticut
“Experiencing a visit to a historic battlefield with someone who fought there proved a special blessing. I’m pleased to see veterans like Hal Baumgarten recognized for their sacrifices on our behalf. These soldiers are national treasures we must appreciate while they’re still with us. I cherish the time spent with the Baumgarten family and sharing Dr. Hal’s remarkable service to our nation, and to his comrades who died.”
- Scott Risser, Alexandria, Virginia
“I thought the Normandy trip was a great experience! I would recommend it highly.”
- Dennis Morgan, Columbus, Ohio
“No one understands what it was like for the men and boys who waded ashore on D-Day except the survivors. It was a distinct privilege and honor to hear one of the few survivors, Hal Baumgarten, tell us what happened.” – Michael Rothman, Hopewell Junction, New York
“Worth every penny! Very enlightening! – Mick Donato, Uhrichville, Ohio
“I found the tour to be a paradox of virtues: it was structured and organized, but it also allowed great personal freedom. It was a great educational and learning experience, and it was also great fun. It was fast-paced and rigorous, but it was also relaxed. In short, it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you!!”
- Dianna Wittner, Phoenix, Arizona
RECOMMENDED READING
· The Longest Day: The Classic
Epic of D-Day, by Cornelius Ryan
· Two Sides of the Beach: The
Invasion and Defense of Europe in 1944,
by Edmund L. Blandford
· D-Day: June 6, 1944:
The Climactic Battle of World War II,
by Stephen E. Ambrose
· D-Day Survivor: An
Autobiography, by Harold Baumgarten
· Cpl Forrest Guth: ‘E’ Company,
506 PIR, 101st Airborne Division, by Michel de Trez
REGISTRATION FEES
Double: $2,825 per person ($5,650 per Couple)
Send a deposit of $600 per couple and your balance of
$5,050 will be due on July 1, 2008
Single: $3,350
Send a deposit of $300 and your balance of $3,050 will
be due on July 1, 2008
Refund Policy for this Tour
If
You Must Cancel we will refund 100%
of your fees paid except that cancellations received after August 1 may
necessitate a cancellation fee of $300 per person. However, if we can
substitute someone in your place, or otherwise fully recover our pre-paid fees,
we will waive such cancellation fee.
What is Included in Your Registration
· the services of expert historians
· the services of professional
tour managers
· deluxe transportation from site to site
· 7 nights’ lodging (September 15-21) in Port-En-Bessin
· 1 night’s lodging (September 22) in Paris
· all taxes, baggage handling and
gratuities on included features
· 7 breakfasts
· 2 lunches
· 2 dinners
· refreshments & snacks during the tour
· a book of maps, orders of
battle and other useful materials
· all admissions to included museums and other included sites
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