DAY TOUR TESTIMONIALS:

Ray and Cristy,

I toured Normandy with you last August and have written to you several times since regarding the benefits of my tour. I hope that you had the opportunity to read “The Bedford Boys’ which I sent to your Florida research office.

Last week, I taught my lesson on D-Day to my students. This has always been a favorite lesson of mine, considering that I am a native of the Bedford area. I have always felt the need to let students in the Richmond area (where I teach) know what a great sacrifice Virginians and other Americans and Allied forces made that June 6.

This year however, my students responded so much more to my lesson. I had created a PowerPoint presentation full of information not found in books but learned on your tour. They were interested in the beaches and paratroopers, monuments and locals. How please they were to see tributes to Americans like “Iron Mike” and the plaque for the Rangers. They marveled at the difficulty of scaling Pointe du Hoc and the gratitude of the French owner of The Roosevelt Café.

The students have been so interested because I have seen the sites and had actual photographs to show them Having students thank me for individual lessons is rare: however, the lessons I’ve taught based on my tours of Europe have resulted in numerous expressions of gratitude. One student even said, “Mr. Trent, I’m glad you got to go on that trip.” What a great reward that is so rare for teachers.

I wanted to let you know what an impact my trip had on my students.

Sincerely,

Kevin Trent
Patrick Henry High School
Ashland, Virginia



Cristy and Ray,

Many thanks for arranging an excellent day for Hayes and me. It was exactly the type of tour I wanted to arrange for him (ok – for me too) and I can’t imagine having a tour any more helpful than Ray. I know you’ve heard it all before, but at the risk of repetition, the day with Ray truly brought that fateful day alive for us. I know that Ray was able to pass along the importance of D-Day to yet another generation that needs to recognize the sacrifice those young men made for all of us.

I think Hayes was overwhelmed with the scale and scope of the battles and all the questions that didn’t come to mind that day have flooded back since we left the beaches. And within hours of returning to our house, he was enthralling friends with stories from the day at the beaches. As Ray said to him, he probably has enough information now to write term papers for the next several years at school. Again, I can’t say thank you enough for arranging such a marvelous day. (Hayes enthralled his grandfather who came across Normandy in December 1944 as a replacement for the Bulge. Bill told Hayes that the next time he is in Atlanta, he will introduce us to a friend who was in the 101st on June 6th). Hayes can’t wait!

Cristy, many thanks for the travel tips and scheduling. The ferry worked perfectly and our trip back to Charlotte was uneventful – the best kind I think!

All the best, Terry Friddle




Cristy,

Thanks for the note. Ray was a delight, so friendly, gracious and knowledgeable. We all had a wonderful time in Normandy, wish we had more time to soak up the beautiful surroundings.

Ray gave us so much information; it’s difficult to remember all the names and places.

Dave Webster




Dear Ray,

Thank you so much for guiding me and my parents around Normandy. I think that without you we would not have seen all the things we saw. I know for sure that I could not have even thought to look in the places your took us. One of my favorites was WN62 (German Resistance Nest 62), I had read a lot about it and really enjoyed actually seeing it. I also liked being on the shingle. I also am still reading “D-Day” and have just read about the Rangers at Pointe-du-Hoc (another of my favorite spots) and Omaha.

Well, Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Matt Critchlow




Dear Ray,

Although it has been a year, we still regard meeting you and our tour as the highlight of our trip to Europe. Can’t tell you how many people we have told about the fantastic guide we had. Hopefully someday these friends will find out first hand.

How was the tour with the Band of Brothers following their journey from England to the Eagles’ Nest? It must have been extraordinary!

Our apologies for the long delay in sending these photos and our warmest and sincere thanks for most memorable time.


Sincerely,

George and Karen Baur

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Ray & Cristy

Thank you for a wonderful day on Saturday.  Susan, Myrtle, Jameson and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share in Ray's knowledge of the area and the events surrounding the landings.  The experience has convinced Susan and I to come back soon when we can spend more time with you and get much more in depth on the subject.

I appreciate your patience with Jameson throughout the afternoon (when he was at his crankiest).

Again, thank you and we look forward to seeing you again soon.  Please let us know if you will be in London as we would love to get together over a pint or two.

Best regards,

Stephen




Jameson Gerson - age 7 months - our youngest tour member in 24 years! Jameson sits next to the time capsule which is found at the Normandy American Cemetery. Jameson will be here for the opening of the time capsule on June 6, 2044!

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Ray and Cristy,

We would like to thank you very much for a wonderful tour.  All of us thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, especially my Uncle Don.  This was a dream come true for him.  He has always wanted to tour the Normandy area and Ray more than fulfilled his dream.  For me history was never my strong subject, but Ray brought everything into perspective and I haven't stop talking about it to my friends and co-workers.

We had no trouble getting back to Charles deGaulle Airport, well almost done.  Ray gave us excellent directions, we just miss the exit to Roissy en France to find our Hotel.  We had to make a U-turn.

Please keep us on your mailing list and maybe someday, we can return and take another of your historical tours.

Many thanks again.

Linda

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Ray and Cristy

We just got back home. Our day with you in Normandy was the top highlight of our entire 17 days in Europe. I am so thrilled at our good fortune in being able to spend that day with you and benefit from your knowledge and experience. It surpassed our expectations and was an incredible exploration that our kids enjoyed as much as we did.

Thanks so very much for giving us such a marvelous adventure. Best of luck with your upcoming tours and with the new house.

Cordially,

Kathy Bassett

Dear Ray and Cristy,

Many thanks for all your effort during our recent trip to Normandy. Retracing my father's path between the D-Day landings and his death 7 weeks later was something that I've wanted to do for years. Having you to guide us in that journey was easily the wisest decision of the many we made planning the trip. By ourselves, in the relatively limited time available to us, we could never have covered the territory and learned what you were able to show and convey to us.

Your knowledge of the history of WW2 and particularly the Normandy campaigns is extremely impressive and fun to discuss for an old history buff like myself. Beyond the facts, though, your appreciation of and concern for the emotional aspects of our trip was thoughtful and very much appreciated. I was particularly touched by your special efforts to locate the specific battle area of my father's death.

You are both just plain fun to be around. Your enthusiasm for your work and upbeat personalities made each of our days with you a joy for both Melanie and me. Our visit to Normandy exceeded all of our expectations and you were a principle reason for this great experience. We look forward to staying in touch and possible future trips with you.

Best wishes,

Paul and Melanie Delima

PRIVATE TOURS OF THE INVASION BEACHES
OFFERED BY HISTORIC TOURS