Rob had the opportunity to lead the junior class on their annual trip to Normandy.
Below are reflections from 3 of the 74 students who experienced this 4 day journey to the coast of France to witness and experience the sites where the invasion took place.
“This experience was amazing and
I'm very grateful I got to go, however wet & miserable it may
have been. I really respect the men that had the courage to invade
the beaches. It reminds me how we can never forget what the price of
freedom is and how we should live with their sacrifice in mind, never
taking for granted our rights, living in a way that isn't self
centered but for others and trying our best in everything we do. I
think these landings were honorable, it was necessary to invade
Europe and topple the Nazi control that held it. I will always
remember this trip for all that I got to see and all the great
experiences I had.”
“The American Cemetery was and
will remain in my memories the most because of the vast number of
white crosses covering the large amount of land. AS soon as I saw
them, they made me speechless and truly realize the tragedy the war
brought upon families and friends. I am thankful for all the soldiers
who have died on the beaches, for their courage and sacrifice for
their country. The D-Day landings were definitely honorable because
they contributed to the success of the Allies and downturn of the
Germans/Axis. Although an innumerable number of men died, I feel that
the tragedy is something to honor and be glad about because the event
gave a turning point to the war before it ended. It has made me feel
respect towards the soldiers a lot more than I had done before. And I
think that I will be able to genuinely honor and thank them every
time I think about them. It was a memorable trip that I will cherish
for the rest of my life.”
“What we all want to remember the
most is the quality class bonding time spent, packed in one room in
sleeping bags or sitting together on the floor watching “Ratatouille”
and cheering at sights of Paris. We want to hold those moments in our
minds – the Eiffel Tower at night, or the stroke of the hour, the
beaches with their marshy green and gray waves, the crazy bus rides
when everyone was either bouncing out of their seats or covering
every available surface in an attempt to sleep. We want to remember
the good things of this trip, and we will. But, what will come back
to us, whether we want it to or not, it the memory of of all those
silent graves, row upon row upon row, standing in peaceful
cemeteries, watched over by massive trees and caressed by the
sea-breeze. We will remember the vivid images of Saving Private Ryan,
the men with mutilated bodies screaming for their mothers; museum
after museum of discarded clothing, letters, photographs, all lending
depth, sight and sound t a time forgone in history. At least, that is
what I will remember. And I know the others will, too, though they
may choose to ignore the images and block out the memories.
Was the landing and war honorable?
Do the ends justify the means? What about this trip – was it
perhaps, a waste of money and time better spent on others more
knowledgeable or entitled? Or maybe, have our young lives been
touched in ways we do no have the words to describe. An maybe never
will. Oliver Wendell Homes once said, “ In our youth our hearts
were touched with fire...” We have been touched with fire, and we
all now bear the mark of incredibly weighty knowledge. May God turn
our burned hearts, our burden of knowledge, to His purpose.”
