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Focus military UTAH BEACH ATLANTIC WALL, CHATEAU D'URSPELT, CLERVAUX, PITI GUNS GUAM, FORT MILLS HOSPITAL: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM WALTER MUNK: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF UC SAN DIEGO/SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY I wasn't the only new teacher who arrived in San Diego that year and, with the Vietnam War raging, I met the stalwart Marines at the MCRD Officer's Club and the pilots who flew in and out of Miramar Naval Air Station. I learned more when I volunteered at the International Center at UC San Diego and met Dr. Walter Munk and his wife. ey graciously opened their spacious home for fundraisers given by nonprofit organizations and to various student groups. Munk was an immigrant from what was then Austria-Hungary and an oceanographer with a specialty in forecasting wave action. In 1944 when General Eisenhower was planning the Normandy invasion, he consulted with Munk, who concluded that it would be best to postpone the invasion by three days. Over 4,000 allied forces lost their lives on D-Day, but Dr. Munk's contribution was credited with saving many more. To this day, he is remembered as e Man Who Delayed D-Day. inking about Walter Munk led me to discover e National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Here, visitors can browse exhibits that tell the story of the American experience in the war and read thousands of personal accounts. In the 4D theater, guests can see and hear the epic story of the war with Beyond All Boundaries, a film narrated by Tom Hanks. In addition to informative displays and guided tours, the museum also offers tours to sites around Europe and the Pacific, including: Pacific e Pacific Campaign: Guam, Saipan, and Tinian is a 9-day travel program taking place March 13 to 21, 2026, that traces through the fierce battles that shaped the Pacific eater. Guests will travel with renowned historians Jonathan Parshall and James Scott, exploring key battlefields such as Mount Tapochau, Suicide Cliffs, White Beach, North Field, and the atomic bomb pits on Tinian. Evenings feature private receptions and lectures that bring new context to the day's sites, while curated oral histories and archival materials deepen understanding. Accommodations include five nights at the Kensington Hotel Saipan and three nights at the Dusit ani Guam Resort, with seamless group flights between islands. Optional extensions — Battle for Peleliu (pre-tour) and Target Tokyo (post-tour) — offer an even broader view of the Pacific campaign. Normandy and Paris e Landing Beaches to Liberation is also a 9-day trip from October 25 to November 2, 2026. For history enthusiasts, this exclusive program blends a land tour of Normandy with a Seine River cruise to Paris. Guests spend four nights at a five-star chateau in Normandy, then board the luxurious SS Joie de Vivre for an additional 4-night cruise. Highlights include visits to Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, Utah and Omaha beaches, Pointe du Hoc, and the Normandy American Cemetery, as well as cultural stops in Rouen, La Roche-Guyon, and an exclusive tour of Versailles' private apartments. Travel alongside esteemed historians William Hitchcock, PhD, and Michael Neiberg, PhD, who provide engaging lectures and on-site context throughout the journey. Early booking rates, select discounted pricing, and an optional post-tour Paris extension are also available. Germany Into the Bitter Woods begins and ends in Brussels, guiding through Germany's Aachen, e Hürtgen Forest & Hill 400, Lanzerath, Malmedy, Bastogne, the Luxembourg American Cemetery, and more. is is a comprehensive tour of significant battles that proved crucial to the Allies' eventual victory on the long and grueling road to Berlin. Historians Edwin Popken, Joris Nieuwint, and Roland Gaul pass off sharing expertise between stops. Trip attendees will experience luxury accommodations at Park Hotel Quellenhof Aachen and Château d'Urspelt in Clervaux, and even have the chance to tour with a cast member/historian from the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, Robin Laing. e 2026 trip is sold out, but registration for 2027 is already available for November 2 to 9. I'm partial to traveling independently, so I sought advice from my good friend Doug Hamilton who directed the Normandy D-Day special for a NOVA series on PBS. He and his team spent a significant amount of time in the area and explored every nook and cranny. Based on what he said, I plan to take "a pleasant 2-hour train ride from Paris to Caen" and rent a car. I'm especially looking forward to viewing and possibly walking on the five landing beaches in the invasion — codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. is is where the battle began the defeat of the Nazis, stopping their march toward world domination, and was essential to reestablishing the liberty our lives were built on. e bloodiest fighting was on Omaha Beach, as depicted in the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. Hamilton also said: "It's all there — from great history to great food. It's inspiring and ridiculously charming, and it's very easy to get around. Parisians go to this area for a beach holiday, so it's got something for everyone. But a trip focused on exploring this significant chapter in history won't disappoint. Despite the importance to world history — and macho stuff of war — it's also an easy place to explore, and it can be as romantic as it is studly." In contrast to what I remember from my Midwest hometown, San Diego celebrates Veterans Day in style. is year, there will be an event at 11am on Saturday, November 8, at the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial in La Jolla. On November 11, at 10am, there will be a parade that starts on Harbor Drive in front of the San Diego County Administration building. Also that day at 10am, there will be a ceremony on the USS Midway. << ranchandcoast.com 40 NOVEMBER 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE