The French Connection – From Lafayette to Operation Overlord
At the Louisville Mini-Reunion, the Engage Team noted that we were working on a Class Trip to Normandy – details at that time were sketchy, but interest seemed to justify continuing the planning activities. As more details have been clarified, we have posted the information we have on the class web site. Hopefully, you have noticed our progress, even if it has been slow. The dates are now confirmed – October 7-12, 2027.
(See the MOV Link on the Class Website)
We continue to be working on the details. While we have gotten prices for lodging in Bayeux, which will be the base of our activities; details for on-site transportation and other costs for conducting an international initiative must still be finalized. (Those of you who have worked in Europe know that the entire continent takes off in July and August – you don’t mess with Mother Nature or a European’s summer vacation!)
What we can say is this. Due to work of our classmates in the Normandy area (Bill Leszczynski, Paul Herbert and Andy Marvell) and their expertise in the historical facts and cultural details, our tour costs will be well below those of other tour groups (e.g., the AOG). We will also be including activities that are not normally experienced on such a tour – details of this surprise will be finalized soon.
We must, however, make some initial deposits on lodging to reserve rooms for our week. On the class web site you will be able to see the hotels we are contracting, so you can get an appreciation of what that part of our excursion will be. Many of the venues we will visit are also highlighted on the class website. A final schedule has not yet been finalized, but you will be able to see what this experience will bring.
A survey will be coming out in a few days to supplement this communique (not bad for an engineer to use a French-derived word for a trip to Normandy, huh). We are asking you to let us know if you are a possible attendee. This is not a commitment; this is not a reservation; no money is expected. It does give us a feel of potential interest, at this time, to help us finalize plans. And this trip is different in that we are opening it to all friends and families of our class. So, if you think your kids, friends or neighbors might want to come, please share that information.
Help us make this an experience that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. If this is on your bucket list; if this is a second time to the beaches; if this is an “I have been there so many times I could lead the tour” return visit – let us know.
Thanks, in advance, for your understanding and assistance. Your input will help us make this the best we can and allow us to get out all of the details as quickly as possible.
