West Point Class of 72

Proud and True 72

Normandy 2027

West Point '72 Hosts Normandy Tour, 7-12 October 2027 
Campaign Plan
Class of 1972 Normandy Tour 2027
“Operation Honor the Ties”
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

After an extensive three-day reconnaissance of the Normandy region, the Proud and True Recon Team has prepared the planning parameters for our Class hosted tour of the historic Normandy region of France, 7-12 October 2027. 

Our plan consists of:
  
  • A planning figure of 100 Classmates and Spouses/Family Members will attend. 
  • Our Normandy experience will be six days/five nights and based in the Norman town of Bayeux at the Hotel Churchill.  Additional accommodations are provided at the Hotel Villa Lora (across the street from the Churchill) with the Brasserie des Ducs (down the street from the Churchill and Lara) providing overflow accommodations. These hotels facilitate easy access to bus transportation for the tours. 
  • Two highly experienced historians from our Class (Bill Leszczynski and Paul Herbert) will lead separate itineraries that together provide an inciteful and unique perspective on the 1944 American military operations in the D-Day area. 
  • We will hold a magnificent gastronomic Gala Dinner at Chateau La Chenevière on Saturday, 9 October.  The theme of the Gala will be honoring the historically significant French – American alliance.  Honored guests will include French guests who were uniquely and positively impacted by the actions of the US Army in World War II. The Chateau La Chenevière is only 20 minutes by bus from the Churchill and has offered additional luxury accommodations if needed.  
  • Tours of Normandy include but not limited to: 
  • Omaha Beach 
  • Utah Beach 
  • Pointe du Hoc 
  • Pegasus Bridge 
  • Sainte-Mere-Église 
  • Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mere-Église 
  • La Fiere Causeway 
  • Brecourt Manor 
  • Mont Saint Michel 
  • While cost is a consideration, it is not the primary planning factor.  Elegance, class, and the unique opportunity that this event offers is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us.  This Operation will “Honor the Ties” that bind us not only to the military leaders of World War II who inspired us as children, but also the ties that have bound the French and American peoples since our Revolution. 
 
The Proud and True Recon Team, Larry Aubrecht, Andy Harvell and Steve Presley
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DRAFT USMA 72 NORMANDY TOUR SCHEDULE

 DAY  ACTIVITY               LOCATION                     TIME              TRANS      RMKS
  0     Arrive/welcome       Hotel in Bayeux           TBD                NONE       Dinner together 
  1     US Cemetery           Colleville-sur-Mer        0900-1200     Bus           Lunch together near cemetery?PM open time        2    Tour Omaha            Omaha beach               0830-1700     Bus           See attached schedule
             beach                   from Cabourg to
                                           Pte du Hoc
  3   Open and visit          Bayeux –                     Dpt 2:00 PM,    Bus to      Restaurants in Mont St.
       Mont St. Michel        museums –                return10:00PM MSM        Michel open until 9-10 PM
  4   Tour Utah                  Utah beach                   TBD                  Bus          Utah beach 1 hr drive each way
       beach and                  and US
       vicinity                        airborne opns
  5  Open / optional         Bayeux                           TBD                                   Individual choice; dinner together
      British beaches
      / farewell
  6   Departures                Bayeux
 
NOTES
 
1. I recommend the cemetery on Day 1. It allows a later start after travel and
gets most important site done right away with the opportunity to return later.
- concur
2. Transportation. Do we encourage attendees to rent cars or do we contract
for a bus? Long column of cars problematic but affords us flexibility. Also depends
on size of group. Two smaller vans would be ideal.- Dependent on
numbers as you’ve pointed out. We should try to accommodate the group.
3. Chow on tour days. I recommend we take snacks and box lunches - efficient
and flexible. Ask if hotels can prepare in advance. There are a few good
restaurants along the Omaha tour route but they are usually very busy and
stopping consumes time. Airborne battlefields are even moreso because the
sites are much more spread out and in rural areas. – Concur – for those who
want more provide the option oyo
4. Day 3 AM should be open for rest or site-seeing in Bayeux. We should plan
our trip to Mont St. Michel late in the day to arrive there about 4:00 PM (so
depart 2 PM or so) and return after supper about 9 or 10 PM. – What would
this include? How about a simple ceremony on this day? How far is MSM?
5. Day 4 to Utah / airborne is a challenge. It’s an hour drive each way and
much driving within the battle area. We’ve come home late the previous
night. We should be on the road by 9 AM latest. Bill and I both recommend
a couple hours, incl lunch and the Airborne Museum, in Ste. Mere-Eglise.
We need everyone’s thoughts. See attached draft outline. – Concur, but we
can control the day before
6. I’ve attached my recommended list of museums. We should make clear that,
with few exceptions, we will not visit museums on our tours.- OYOA-
nothing attached
7. Bill and I will divide up the tours. Tentatively, I’ll do Omaha and he’ll do
Pointe-du-Hoc on the Omaha day; he’ll do airborne opns and I’ll do Utah
beach on the Utah day. Willing to share with any other experts in the group.
Pro bono, of course, for this special group. – Everyone should hear the same
presentation. That may be your intent. We shouldn’t have to choose.
8. Day 5 is our last day (yes?). I’ll offer an optional British beach tour that day
– I’ve never led a tour there but I’ve been there a few times, feel very
comfortable about it and have more than a year to prepare! Piece of cake.
We may have no takers as it is our last day.