Dimond High students plunged into the same waters that soldiers did 80 years before on Thursday in France. The group was there to visit different memorial sites and learn about the history of the area.
Thursday marks 80 years since Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France to bring the beginning of the end of World War Two in Europe.Eighty years later, ROTC students from Dimond High School swam in the same water.
The students were in France on a trip to visit the town and other locations throughout France where pivotal battles occurred. The trip happens every year, Senior Army Instructor Maj. Sidney Topf said. She is the leader of the trip, and she said that the event was different this year, the 80th anniversary.
“Since I’ve been coming here, every year is about half the veterans that you saw the previous year,” Topf said. “And I’ve only seen maybe 10 different ones so far this year. So I would be surprised if there are any next year.”ROTC student Kirby Gallagher, 15, is traveling to France for the first time. He just finished his first year of ROTC at Dimond.“The way I describe it is, at the ceremony, it was a very — you can kind of feel the tension,” Gallagher said. “It’s not like an angry thing.
The group also participated in a wreath ceremony at the American Cemetery in Brittany, France. The students took time to remember the soldiers buried there and took pictures with veterans.“I think the main takeaway from today, for any other kids my age or any kids considering joining any JROTC program, is just like one major said, you always have to learn history,” Gallagher said.
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