Remembering D-Day and My Visit to the Normandy Beaches

Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, commemorating the Allied invasion of France on June 6th, 1944. It was the breakthrough needed, the beginning of the ending of WWII. The following was written in 2013, published in 2014. I repost it as a reminder of the horrific price we pay for wars. My visit to Normandy left a deep impression on me. I hope young people today still learn of this part of history in their classes. 

Remembering D-Day on the Normandy Beaches

By Nancy Julien Kopp

Today marks the 81st Anniversary of D-Day when Allied troops landed in Normandy. It was the beginning of the end of WWII. I think it is worth commemorating each year. The essay below features my visit to Normandy in 2013. 

Visiting the Normandy Beaches

My husband and I were nearing the end of a river cruise in France which brought us from Paris to Normandy, famed for its Norman cows and fine dairy products as well as being the place where the Allied Invasion began during WWII. Our river ship docked at the final port--Honfleur, a picture postcard kind of town. Now, we were close to the highlight of the two-week cruise that had begun in Paris. We’d spend a full day at the D-Day beaches of Normandy, something Ken and I had looked forward to since booking months earlier.

At breakfast in the ship’s dining room that next morning, we sensed an air of anticipation that had not been evident in our other sightseeing tours on this trip. We were not the only ones looking forward to this day when we would view the beaches where the landing took place on June 6, 1944. The ensuing battle resulted in the Allied Forces turning the tide of the long-fought war that threatened so many, not only in France but other countries as well.

Being mostly senior citizens, the people in our tour group knew the history of the battle well. One man had even been there with the British navy shortly after the initial invasion. Only 16, he lied about his age to join the navy and was among the first who arrived after the beaches were taken. This now-elderly gentleman had spoken about his experience one evening on the river ship. That morning, as the bus took us from ship to the beaches, I watched this man who sat silently while we rode through the Normandy countryside. What thoughts were going through his mind, what memories were returning one by one? I wanted to ask but out of respect for what must have been an emotional time for him, I kept my silence.   

We filed quietly off the bus on that cold, wet March morning. There was none of the usual chatter and good-natured teasing on this day. We were a solemn, respectful group as we were introduced to our local tour guide. Her scarf whipped wildly in the strong wind, and like us, she wore hat, gloves and a warm coat. The skies were gray which somehow seemed fitting for this place where the remnants of battle and death remained even these 69 years after the fact.

The pillboxes where the German artillery faced the beaches remain today. I slipped and slid down a muddy incline to see inside one where parts of the big guns remained. Looking out to the beaches, I was immediately struck by the incongruity of those in the pillboxes versus the men on the open beaches on that summer morning so long ago. An old cliché seemed most fitting. They were “sitting ducks.” I shivered with both the thought and the sharp wind that found its way through my warm jacket.

The Allied Forces came to liberate France from German occupation, to push the German forces back to their own country. The Canadians landed at Juno Beach, the British at Sword and Gold Beach. Our American troops came ashore at both Omaha and Utah Beach. Paratroopers landed first followed by amphibious landing craft manned by Navy and Coast Guard personnel. Thousands of men with one goal—take the beaches and move on.

Gnawing fear must have been in the belly of each man but they surged forward with many falling on the beach. More than a thousand died on Omaha Beach alone. Others continued to dodge the constant gunfire and scaled precarious cliffs to reach the German strongholds. 

As the tour guide talked, I thought of the men I knew who had fought in this war of so long ago—my uncle who had been an Air Force pilot, my best friend’s uncle who had endured the hardships of a prison camp, and my dad’s cousin whose plane blew to pieces before he could escape. I thought of my father-in-law who served in Paris after the liberation and came home safely thanks to the courage of the men who fought on D-Day, those who carried General Eisenhower’s order with them. “Full victory. Nothing else.” 

Our tour guide told us of a U.S. Army veteran who had been on another of her tours. On the morning of the invasion, he was in a landing craft that held 32 men. 31 of them were violently seasick. By the time they landed, they were covered in vomit with no choice but to rush the beach and dodge the artillery fire. That was only one of nearly 7,000 boats that hit the five beaches early that morning. I shivered yet again but didn’t know if it was because of the cold misty rain or the stories she related.

Our next stop was the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, located not far from the beaches. In gratitude, the government of France granted use of the land, in perpetuity, as a permanent burial ground. We walked through the immaculate grounds, viewing the choppy waters of the English Channel just beyond. Nearly 10,000 American soldiers are buried here, a Latin cross or a Star of David marking each grave.

We gathered in the light rain at the Memorial area which features a 22-foot statue called “The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves.” A representative from the cemetery addressed our group before leading a short ceremony to honor those who had sacrificed so much in this place. Everyone faced the wildly waving American flag, hand on hearts. Cold raindrops mixed with the warm tears that fell as I listened to a recording of our national anthem followed by a volley of gunshots and finally the playing of “Taps.” The lump in my throat would allow me no words, nor were any needed. 

As the group dispersed, Ken and I walked to the edge of the cemetery close to the sea. The rain had finally ceased. We gazed at the gray sky and the gray water, empty now save for the ghosts of 69 years earlier. We have heard about the Normandy Beaches and D-Day for most of our lives. We’ve seen pictures, watched movies depicting that day. But being there and hearing the personal stories brought reality like nothing else. What struck me as we walked silently back through the cemetery was that we humans didn’t learn from the horrors of WWII. We’ve continued to send our young men and women to fight in multiple wars since. 

At home, we fly our American flag with pride every June 6th to honor those who fought and those who didn’t come home. After visiting Normandy, that day will take on even greater significance. Veterans of the D-Day battle dwindle year by year. Before long, there will be none left, so it will be up to the next generation and the next to keep the memory alive. It is my great hope that this year’s 70th Anniversary will spark some interest among all ages for this commemorated day.

Book Review: A Shakespeare Sonnet Shakeup

 Are you looking for something new and different to read? I can recommend just the book for you. It's poetry. Now don't turn your nose up. Poetry can be enlightening, interesting, and educational. 

Poet and award-winning author, Tom Mach, set himself a real test. Mach used the first 77 sonnets Shakespeare wrote (of 154) to challenge himself to rewrite each of the Bard's sonnets as if he'd lived in the 21st century. The title, A Shakespeare Sonnet Shakeup should give you a glimmer of Mach's sense of humor.

What, you might ask, is a sonnet?  According to Google: Originating in the 13th century, the sonnet is a form of a poem that has 14 lines, written in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line with specific stress pattern) and adhering to a specific rhyme scheme. Shakespeare's sonnets are written with three quatrains (or stanzas) and a concluding couplet (2-line stanza). The rhyming scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

You don't need to know all that to enjoy reading Shakespeare's sonnets. Or those that Tom Mach has written as a 21st century version.

Shakespeare's sonnets follow a few themes--love, having more children, and leaving a piece of yourself behind in particular.

By rewriting each of the seventy-seven sonnets, Mach attempted to keep the premise of the sonnet the Bard wrote but offering it in the language of today's world. 

The book is set up so that Shakespeare's numbered sonnets are on the lefthand-side pages with a lovely, framed border, and a sketch of Will himself in the bottom right corner of each. Mach's borderless, rewritten sonnet is on the righthand-side page allowing for easy comparison. 

Mach offers an Introduction page to explain what he hoped to accomplish with this book, and also a final page about the sonnets of Will Shakespeare. Finally, Mach offers his own Sonnet #155 to add to the 154 that the Bard wrote. 

If you've ever felt a bit perplexed when reading Shakespeare's poetry, Mach offers the reader some fine explanations via his own interpretation of these first 77 sonnets. 

Purchase the paperback at Amazon for $9.95 and free for KindleUnlimited members. 

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Tips for Writing Family Stories

My regular readers know that one of my pet projects is encouraging people to write family stories. Writers and non-writers alike. You don't need to be a professional writer to record your family history through stories of incidents and events. Anyone can do it. 

There are websites to help. Use any search engine and enter 'how to write family stories', and you'll be amazed at the number of helpful articles that pop up. 

There is a difference between family stories and family history. The latter is made up of facts and figures...names and dates of marriages, births, deaths, places lived. Family stories are more personal letting future generations know more about the personalities of family members as well as significant things that happened within the family. Both good events and sad or bad. It's all part of your family history. You don't want to sugarcoat your family members in every story. Tell it like it is. Or was! You can do this without being nasty or cruel. 

My mother often mentioned an uncle of hers who she said was 'the meanest man on the earth'. When he died, he left money to all his nieces and nephews, so the man had a good side, as well. Many of our relatives have more than one side. Try to find the good side when you can.

A few tips when writing family stories: 

A. Use sensory details to make the individuals seem real--sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

B. Try to show the place where the story happens. City, farm, ranch, island, ocean? 

C. Do more than tell the story. Show us what happened. That's where the sense of place and sensory details come in.

D. Use active verbs instead of relying on passive ones like is, was, were, are. Active verbs help show while passive ones end up merely telling the story.

E. Use some adjectives to help with description, but keep it to one, two at the most. Otherwise, it sounds too saccharin.

F. Dialogue helps bring the story alive. You probably can't remember dialogue word for word, but you will remember the gist of what was said. It's alright to create dialogue as long as the meaning is the same as what was said.

G. Humor is always welcome in any story. There are many humorous things that happen in our families. They beg to be repeated.

H. Don't shy away from sad stories. They should be told. They are part of what makes people who they are. The same with tragic events in a family. Tell them with kindness.

I. It's not necessary to write the stories chronologically. Write them as they come to you. 

J. Describe the characters in your stories. What relation were they to you? Physical attributes. The kind of person he/she was. Weave all this into your individual story. 

Keep a file of the stories you write. Both on your computer and hard copies saved in a large 3-ring binder. Computers fail us at times, so those hard copies are important. 

Many people say they want to write their family stories. They think about it, they talk about it, but that's as far as it goes. Start with one story, save it, then go on to the next. You don't have to keep at it day by day. Write when the mood moves you but try to do it with some regularity. The longer you are away from the project, the easier it is to stay away. Maybe aim for one a week. 

If you write your family stories, you'll have a certain sense of satisfaction. Our family memories are treasures, so why not share them with other family members and leave them for future family members.  

Don't Put Off Writing What is Important Today

My apologies for the long time between posts. Life throws us a curve ball now and then. On the evening of May 1st, I had a heart attack, ending up with two stents put in the next day and a couple days in the hospital. Then home to spend a few weeks recovering. 

I've been thinking about writing an essay detailing this experience, but the thought process is as far as I've gotten. When we have something traumatic happen, and that could be any number of things, we need to get our thoughts down in some way. Maybe an essay, maybe a poem, maybe a fiction piece based on what happened. 

The problem is that we don't feel like making that effort while we are still going through whatever happened. With me, it's been on my mind, but I haven't been able to sit down and put the words on the paper or screen yet. 

When this happens, we need to do it before those thoughts trickle away, and we've lost the urge to write about it or have forgotten many of those important bits and pieces. We should do it while the emotion is still present.

Give yourself time, just not too much time. If nothing else, make some notes and keep them where you see them daily. When you're ready, get that first draft written. 

Write about your experience for yourself but also for others who might relate to what happened to you. Don't put it off too long, or you'll lose some of the emotion that can go into a piece like this. Be like Goldilocks and find what is 'just right'.

Should I Join a Writer's Group?

Do you belong to a writer's group or association? If not, why not? I've heard excuses like 'I don't have time for that.' and 'They don't write like I do.' and 'I hate meetings.' 

Nothing is perfect, but I believe that writers' groups have enough benefits to give them a gold star. There are a variety of groups that offer different benefits. 

A. Online critique groups: I have belonged to one for many years, and I know that I am a better writer because of them. When others critique my work, they look objectively and point out things I never see, even when I am editing and revising. Besides improving my writing, the women in my group have become real friends. Where do you find a group like this? Go to your favorite SEO and use keywords like 'online critqiue groups' or 'online writing groups'. There are many different kinds. My group is for women only and open to International writers. It's relatively small, varying with 20-25 members. There are others that are quite large and can probably offern more because of size. Personally, I prefer the smaller size as it is more personal. 

B. Local in-person writing groups:  Many towns have groups like this. I found one many years ago through my local library. Way back then, a group of older ladies who liked to write met one Sunday afternoon a month. I learned a lot merely by listening to them chat and hearing them read pieces of their work. Now, our community has a few writers' groups that meet face-to-face. 

C. State organizations: Most states have a writers organization. I joined mine 26 years ago and have never been sorry. They offered me an opportunity to meet other writers, to attend workshops and an annual convention as well as monthly meetings. When Covid hit, we started having zoom meetings, and they were so well received that they continue to this day. My state is over 400 miles long from east to west border, so the zoom meetings allow everyone to hear guest speakers, attend meetings, and more. Once again, use a search engine to find your own state organization for writers.

D. Other online writing groups: There are other online groups that are not critique based. They offer information for writers, news about submissions, and more. 

By joining writing groups, I have connected with a great number of writers. I benefit from their understanding of the writing world, their successes, and their friendship. I have also found that the involved you become in a group, the more benefits you receive. 

One word of caution. There are writers who start joining writing groups in person and online to the point that they spend the bulk of their writing time with the groups, which leaves less time for actually writing. I encourage you to find and join a few groups, maybe even narrow it to one or two, but do remember to leave plenty of time to write. 
 

Aim for Strong Writing

Our photo today is of a man lifting a barbell, a strong man. He probably could not lift a barbell of great weight when he first started this exercise. He worked at it a little at a time, increasing the weight and his strength a little at a time. 

Like this man, we writers must work at being a strong writer. Strong writing doesn't merely happen.  

There are a number of things that will increase the strength of our writing. Here is a list of some of them:

A.  Getting rid of unnecessary words like very, usually, really. They clutter up our writing. Go through an old piece of writing and circle each unnecessary word, then delete it. These words don't help your writing. They become added clutter. We often use them in our everyday speaking but try to lose them when you write.

B.  Repetition of words and ideas can also give that cluttered look to your writing. When you edit, look for repetition of words close together and replace some of them. Also, watch for repetition of ideas. Sometimes, we writers think that the readers won't 'get it' unless we repeat. Don't do it.

C.  Overly long sentences can confuse a reader. They can often be cut into two separate sentences and become even stronger. 

D.  Be sure your verb tenses are consistent. If you are writing in past tense, make sure you stay in past tense. Or in present tense, keep it throughout. 

E.  Cutting words is a good way to be a stronger writer. Not only the unnecessary words mentioned above, but we can cut other words. We will often end with sentences that are more clear and stronger.

F.  As writers, we should work on increasing our vocabulary. By doing so and using the words we've learned, we will strengthen our writing. 

G.  Show don't tell. Every writing book you might read will emphasize this. A story in which a writer uses showing rather than telling will always be stronger and far more interesting.

H.  Use sensory details. When you show, rather than tell, you have a perfect platform for using sensory details like sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. 

I. Bring emotion to your writing. If the writer has emotion, so will his/her reader. 

J.  Writing exercises are not a waste of time as some writers contend. On the contrary, they help us as much as the weightlifter when he continues to increase the size of the bar bell he uses.  Daily writing exercises develop our writing muscles.

All the things listed above will aid us in becoming stronger, better writers. They take time. They require effort. In the long run, they will make you a stronger writer. 

 

Book Review: The Queen's Cook

 I recently read The Queen's Cook by Tessa Afshar, Historical Fiction that pulled me in quickly. Not only historical but biblical, as well. The bible brings us many wonderful tales. Ms Afshar has brought the Book of Esther alive in a fictionalized version of the well-known story from the Old Testament.

In the book, we see Roxannah, the daughter of a Persian Lord who has fallen on hard times, grow from a young girl to a young woman who works and thrives in the kitchens of Queen Esther despite the spiteful antics of the other cooks.

Her friend, Adin, is Jewish and a court physician who helps her get a job as an assistant cook when he sees the poverty her family lives in. They see one another daily, and their relationship grows, although neither wants the other to know their feelings.

The king, guided by his prime minister, sends out an edict that all Jews are to be killed on February 28. Queen Esther risks her own life by asking the king to change the order, that the Jews should at least be allowed to defend themselves. The horrible day leaves many lives changed forever. 

Roxannah worships the gods of the Persian people of that time, but her growing relationship with Adin opens her heart to the God he worships. We follow them as they uncover a plot to kill the king's other favorite wife, who is Esther's enemy, as they relate their knowledge to Queen Esther, and she rewards their loyalty. 

The book follows the story of Esther in the bible quite well, adding these two fictionalized characters. We see the culture of the times clearly, and also note that the jealousies, hatred, and tender hearts are much the same as today's people. We learn of the procedures of life at court from the king down to the lowliest servant. I found the descriptions of some of the foods made in Esther's kitchen most intriguing, as well as the interplay of the assistant cooks who made the girl's life miserable. 

The writing is excellent, and the pages turn faster and faster as you get into the story. Credit a fine author for that. Christian Historical Fiction at its best. A four star read.