A Transformative Journey Through Normandy

For ten remarkable days this summer, a group of Upper School Marksmen and chaperones embarked on a powerful journey across France, Belgium, and Luxembourg—one that would bring history out of the textbooks and into vivid, emotional reality. The trip traced the path of Allied liberation during World War II, the brutality of WWI, and offered students both a deeper historical understanding and a greater sense of global citizenship.

“I have two degrees with an emphasis in history, and I constantly am reading nonfiction history and war books, but nothing compares to walking the same soil as the men did in the 1940s,” said Michele Santosuosso, history teacher and trip leader. “There is nothing more rewarding as a teacher than seeing students excited about similar passions.”

After a long flight to Paris and a bus ride, the journey began in Limoges, where students explored the “Pathways of the Resistance,” a memorial route honoring everyday civilians who fought against Nazi occupation. Along the way, students heard from a Resistance descendant, held vintage forged documents, and even an authentic explosive detonator, gaining insight into the courage and ingenuity of the French Resistance.

A visit to Oradour-sur-Glane, a village preserved in the aftermath of a Nazi massacre, left a lasting impression. Walking through the scorched remains of homes, schools, and the church where women and children were killed, students quietly absorbed the magnitude of loss.

“This trip completely opened my eyes to the true scope of war and how many people were and still continue to be affected by it,” said Bryan Li ’28. “I firmly believe it is our duty as citizens of the United States to learn about, understand, appreciate the sacrifices made by the millions of men and women to defend our freedoms, and this trip has helped me do exactly that.”

In Normandy, the group walked through the historic landscapes where the D-Day invasion unfolded. At Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, they explored German bunkers and stood where American troops once landed under fire.

At Pointe du Hoc, students stood on the windswept cliffs scaled by the 2nd Ranger Battalion under enemy fire. The dramatic landscape, still cratered from Allied bombardment, offered a visceral understanding of the tactics and bravery.

“When I first stepped onto the cliffside, it was breathtaking, blue skies, turquoise water, and lush, flowing grass,” said Harry Sabogal ’28. “Then, I noticed the bomb craters and the fortifications which made me imagine what the soldiers faced on D-Day, the chaos, the gunfire, the climb up those cliffs under enemy fire. That contrast between the beauty of the landscape, and the violence of its history hit me hard.”

A solemn stop at the Normandy American Cemetery provided a powerful moment of reflection. As Taps played, students stood among more than 9,000 white crosses and Stars of David, considering the price of freedom.

The group continued their journey to key British and Canadian landing sites, including Sword, Gold, and Juno Beaches. At Gold Beach, they explored the remarkable engineering behind “Port Winston,” the portable harbors that kept Allied forces supplied after D-Day—remnants of which still line the coastline today. They also visited the historic Pegasus Bridge, a vital British objective secured in a daring glider operation just after midnight.

“History becomes tangible,” said Emmy Busman, tour manager. “Seeing these places has a huge impact for the students. It becomes real. It is memory-building.”

At Angoville-au-Plain, the group stood in the same church where two American medics treated wounded soldiers from both sides, the original blood-stained pews still in place. They heard from Geneviève who was 10 years old during D-Day and who shared her experiences and continued devotion to the Americans who freed her from Nazi occupation. They visited Sainte-Mère-Église, the first town liberated by U.S. forces, and saw the iconic church where paratrooper John Steele became entangled on the steeple—his story now immortalized both in stained glass and in film. 

In Bastogne, Belgium, the group had the privilege of meeting Henri Mignon, a civilian who lived through the Battle of the Bulge. His vivid account illuminated the harsh realities of life under German occupation, the personal cost to him and his family that winter, and the unwavering resolve of Allied forces who defended the town.

“Mr. Mignon shared his firsthand experiences as a child during the Battle of the Bulge, along with his deep knowledge of the area and the events that took place there,” Sabogal said. “Hearing his personal stories reminded me that the events we study in class deeply affected real people and families.”

One Marksman, Dillon Kennedy ’28, experienced a profoundly meaningful moment at the Luxembourg American Cemetery, where he became the first member of his family to visit the gravesite of his great-great-uncle, Captain Ira T. Miller, who was killed during the Battle of the Bulge. In a moving tribute, Dillon rubbed sand from Omaha Beach into the engraved letters of the headstone and placed flowers at its base as his family watched via a video call—an act of remembrance that bridged generations and honored a legacy of service. 

“It meant a lot to me because not that many family members will get the chance to do that,” Kennedy said. “It truly meant a lot to my family, and I love that I got the opportunity and privilege to do that.”

As the trip neared its end, the group turned their attention to an earlier chapter of European conflict with a full-day visit to Verdun—the site of one of the most grueling battles of World War I and the highlight of the trip for many.

The group arrived at Fort Douaumont, a mammoth French fortification still surrounded by century-old trenches and thousands of artillery craters. Although battered, the fort is remarkably well-preserved, allowing the Marksmen to descend into the dark, damp interiors, and learn about the harrowing daily existence of soldiers during the Battle of Verdun, the longest battle of the ‘Great War.’

“At first, it just looked like some grassy hills with a few cool guns on top,” Jack Benavides ’27 said. “But once we went inside, I was shocked by how massive it was. It felt like a maze. The dark, damp tunnels made it feel really eerie, and it helped me understand just how tough life must’ve been for soldiers living there during World War I.”

Outside the fort, they carefully navigated trench paths still riddled with unexploded ordnance. At the Douaumont Ossuary students observed the remains of 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers. After climbing 204 steps to the top of the tower, students stood in silence, looking out over the vast cemetery below—France’s largest from the First World War.

“The trip as a whole really showed me how brutal the war was, but the most eye-opening moment was at the Verdun Memorial,” Benavides said. “Walking into the cemetery, all I could see were rows and rows of headstones, barely a foot apart, stretching so far, I couldn’t see the end. That moment made me realize just how massive and devastating both world wars really were.”

The group concluded their journey in Paris with visits to Napoleon’s tomb, scenic walks through the city, and a final shared dinner. Throughout the trip students and chaperones gathered to share their ‘highs’ and ‘buffaloes’—unexpected moments of surprise and joy that defined their time together. Beyond the sights and stories, it was these shared reflections—woven through laughter, awe, and introspection—that revealed just how much the experience had shaped them.

“From the silly things, like inside jokes or singing on the bus, a trip like this has a profoundly positive impact on students,” Santosuosso said. “Several of the guys tried talking with local girls and some even built sandcastles with little French kids. Even ordering food in a country where the majority of people do not speak English is a growing-up moment.”