Teens visit D-Day sites in Normandy

Chris Paul, a U.S. history teacher at LaSalle Institute in Troy, took his two Advanced Placement classes to Europe this past summer on a nine-day Stephen Ambrose Tours Trip, focusing on the D-Day landings of July 6, 1944.

Mr. Ambrose is a leading historian on World War II and the D-Day landings. He has written several books about WWII, including "Band of Brothers," which was made into a multi-part series on HBO this fall.

Across the pond

They then proceeded to Portsmouth, where they visited the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Museum and the Cathedral of Portsmouth, with its renowned stained-glass windows of the Landings.

The next stop on their tour was the beaches of Normandy, where U.S. troops first put ashore in France. A veteran, Alfred Spoonhiemer, gave them a guided tour of the beaches, recounting his actions and feelings of that historic day. In Normandy, the group spent their nights in the city of Caen, centrally located amongst all the invasion beaches.

Sites to see

The last stop on the trip was Paris, where they concluded their trip with visits to the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Napoleon's tomb.

The trip was an excellent chance for the students to see a part of the world none of them had ever experienced. The students raised money throughout the school year by sponsoring school dances, selling candy and holding a student vs. faculty basketball game.

(The trip ended on a bittersweet note: Mr. Paul announced that he had accepted a teaching position elsewhere and would not return to LaSalle. As one of his students, I would like to wish him the very best of luck in his new position, and we all would like to thank him for the opportunity he gave us.)

(11-08-01) [[In-content Ad]]