Owensboro family reflects on emotional Normandy trip after children discover undetonated WWII grenade on beach | News

OWENSBORO, Ky. (KT) — What began as a family vacation to honor a relative’s military service turned into a powerful and emotional experience for the Castlen and Kuegel families during a recent trip to Normandy, France — where two of the children discovered a live German hand grenade buried in the rocks near the cliffside.

The group visited Omaha Beach and stayed near Gold Beach, where Allied forces landed on D-Day in 1944. While there, 8-year-old son Cyrus Castlen and 13-year-old Ellie Kuegel made the startling discovery.

“They were just playing on the beach like kids do, and they came running up yelling, ‘Dad, we found a grenade!’” Matt Castlen said. “Sure enough, at the base of the cliff behind some rocks was an 81-year-old German grenade that had never gone off.”

Castlen said local authorities were contacted, and the grenade was verified and marked for disposal. Castlen said the bomb squad intended to safely detonate it later, but officials weren’t overly alarmed, suggesting such finds aren’t uncommon in the region.

Still, the moment left a deep impression.

“It really hit me that the grenade was originally thrown at Allied forces and just never detonated,” he said. “Somebody’s life was spared because of it. And now, 81 years later, here we are — free Americans walking those same beaches.”

Castlen said his wife Laura had a grandfather who served in World War II as a paratrooper from Fordsville, Ky., and was an inspiration for the trip. He served with the 104th Infantry Division, known as the Timberwolves. Though he didn’t land on D-Day, Castlen said he fought in key battles such as the Battle of the Bulge. The families also had personal connections to other veterans from the region, including B-17 bombardiers.

As they toured memorials and cemeteries, attended ceremonies, and spoke with locals, Castlen said the experience offered a stark reminder of the sacrifices made.

“At Omaha Beach, we held hands in a circle and prayed. As we turned around, we saw all the flags of the nations that fought — and above them stood a statue of Jesus on the cross,” he said. “That moment hit me. I told my kids, ‘That’s the ultimate sacrifice. And those men down there laid their lives down so we could live free.’”

Castlen described the trip as life-changing — one that deepened his patriotism and respect for the “Greatest Generation.”

“There’s so much division in our country now, but on that battlefield, those men didn’t care if you were Democrat or Republican, Black or white, Catholic or Baptist,” he said. “They were there to defend each other. That’s what made them great.”

The family also connected with locals who expressed heartfelt gratitude for the role Americans played in liberating France. One moment that stood out was when a French military police officer saw a photo of Laura’s grandfather.

“He said, ‘Your grandfather liberated my grandfather so I can live as a free man today,’” Castlen recalled. “He had tears in his eyes when he said it. That’s something I’ll never forget.”

For Castlen, the combination of standing on historic ground, connecting with grateful locals, and seeing physical remnants of war made history real.

“I’d tell anyone who has the chance — go,” he said. “It was the most humbling experience of my life.”