October 8-“The Sacrifices of Love”

photos by alec vanderboom

The morning began with a foggy and overcast view of Bastogne, Belgium. We made our way to a small cathedral where there lay a monument commemorating the 101st and 501st Airborne. I watched anxiously as a local reenacting group of soldiers dressed as the Airborne saluted our five beloved veterans. As raw emotion reflected on their faces, I had to catch my own tears as I caught sight of their swimming eyes.

With each new site and cemetery, the past creeps back into their memories. “I don’t like to remember,” said veteran John Cipolla. But “some things are very hard to forget.” Among the many painful memories this journey has brought, laughter continues to be the love language of these great men. Without it, these two weeks could never have happened. “You are why we fought,” said veteran Alvin Henderson. “And you were worth it!” Today’s adventures included a trip to the Peace Woods, where a tree had been planted four years ago in honor of John Cipolla’s service during the Battle of the Bulge. We also spent time hunting for fox holes. Mr. Cipolla was actually able to find the place where his fox hole had been some sixty-six years ago during the battle. These and many more stops, although they will never replace the pain experienced here, are having a positive impact on men who had such a large impact on their country.

If it were not for the laughter of these five men this first week, it would be impossible to understand what really took place in these sacred places. Their willingness to relive the pain that they would rather forget, that took years to bury, so that I could better learn to love my country, is a sacrifice that will never be forgotten. It is not just their sacrifice now, but their laughter that I love.

Cherah Higgins

October 7th--“Down the road we go…”

Today served as one of our two long travel days. This morning we made a brief visit to Gold Beach, the primary British landing site on D-Day. This is the beach where the British, in anticipation of D-Day, constructed an artificial harbor. The idea was Winston Churchill’s as he sat in his bathtub playing with a paper boat and realized that a barrier reduces the effect of waves.

We left lower Normandy and began our eight hour journey across France with our desire to be in Bastogne, Belgium by nightfall. At one of the rest stops along the way, Mr. Ralph Manley stepped across the road and uprooted a sugar beet plant in order to educate us about the use of this unfamiliar plant. On the bus we watched three episodes of HBO’s “Band of Brothers” series. This movie portrayed the events that occurred at Bastogne where several of our veterans braved the harsh winter climate in December, 1944 in the Ardennes forest region.

As the miles passed, we could not help but notice the beautiful landscape offered by northern France and Belgium. Rolling hills, golden forests, and spotted cows reminded us of home in the Ozarks. We arrived in Bastogne tired from the day’s ride, but safe. Our driver, Alaine, is just great at maneuvering a huge tour bus through the narrow streets of Europe. At 8 pm, we were served a scrumptious Belgian dinner at the hotel café and shared an evening of music with Swiss military officers who just arrived from a visit at Waterloo and who are staying at the hotel.

Our long journey provided ample opportunity to reflect on our trip so far. Even though it was only last Saturday that we left the USA, it seems like a lifetime ago. We have experienced so many things that most Americans never even dream of in a lifetime. We have increased our sense of pride and patriotism with each passing day. We remain grateful for this opportunity and look forward to sharing our experiences upon our return home.

Charlie Greene and Charlotte Guittar

October 6—"Real Heroes"

We awoke very early this morning. Still pitch black outside, we watched an episode of Band of Brothers which depicted the actions of the 101st and two of our veterans, Mr. Alvin Henderson and Mr. John Cipolla. We then returned to the Normandy coast and visited Pointe-du-Hoc, a strategic German stronghold atop the cliffs separating Omaha and Utah Beaches. The ground was pot-holed, the result of combined naval and aerial bombardment. Next we visited the actual spot where Mr. Henderson dropped on D-Day. It brought back many memories for him and along with it, wonderful stories for us to hear. Our next stop was Utah Beach which struck home because Mr. Cipolla landed just south of this area.

After lunch at the Roosevelt Café, which was built above a German bunker, we went to a thousand year-old church that was used as a field hospital during the Normandy campaign. One of the pews still had the blood stains from the D-Day wounded. The small local congregation recently installed several beautiful stained glass windows as a tribute to the 101st. Next we went to Sainte Marie-du-Mont where our veterans were made honorary citizens of the town by the Vice Mayor in a beautiful ceremony. We ended the day at Sainte Mere Eglise, a city portrayed in the movie, “The Longest Day,” where the 82nd Airborne parachuted into town, only to suffer horrendous casualties, including one whose chute snagged on the chapel tower. Mr. Cipolla helped liberate the town. It was awe-inspiring to hear him be able to point to the ground and say, “I remember fighting right here.”

At this point in our journey through Europe, all the veterans are really starting to open up to us. We’ve seen them laugh and we’ve seen some cry. It is life changing to hear about the sacrifices these men made for us. Seeing these important battle sites and national monuments with the men they honor will forever change your outlook on freedom and patriotism. These men are not movie stars, but they are the real heroes. They gave their todays so that we could have our tomorrows.

Jerica Gardner and Dwade Isringhausen

October 5, 2010—"Viva la France: A Sacrifice Not Forgotten"

Today the group experienced an incredible change in our mindset of French culture. Any previous negative stereotype of these beautiful people was completely melted away with the rain. Their true hearts were revealed to us in the most unexpected manner. During our tour of the American cemetery at Omaha Beach, we crossed paths with a French tour group. Through our translator’s assistance, the group of French tourists requested the honor of personally thanking our group of veterans. One by one, they came forward and individually expressed their gratitude. The sincerity on their faces was absolutely incredible. Tears of pure gratitude streamed from the faces of both French men and woman as they shook hands and kissed the cheeks of each veteran. We students silently stood in surprise and appreciation. To see the tears on their faces as they so beautifully thanked our veterans is something that one must see to truly understand. Never had the people of France been portrayed to us in this light. It was truly one of the most beautiful experiences a lifetime can offer.

Our guide later explained how the people of France are each assigned a grave site in the cemetery. They are responsible for caring and bringing flowers to the site. The French hold our WWII dead in such high respects, it was humbling to us. The grounds of the cemetery are beautifully kept where the soldier’s silently sleep. Standing there among all those graves, you cannot help but realize your debt to these men. We deeply feel this is something that needs to be passed on to the rest of America.

Later that day, our group visited Omaha Beach. Under umbrellas and linking arms with the veterans, we gathered on the shores were American troops landed on June 6th. The tide was out and we could see several remnants of ships protruding through the water. Omaha Beach was nearly a solitary place today and so peaceful. But as Mr. Ralph Manly concluded, “It truly was the longest day.”

Emily A. Jackson & Garrett Stanbrough

October 4th--“Hearing is easy; Understanding is impossible; Thank You is a forgotten word”

Today was the start of an emotional journey. Coming out of the hotel elevator, I was greeted by two smiling faces, veterans Alvin Henderson and Ralph Manley; that was a great start to my day. After Ralph kissed all the girls on the cheek, we were on our way. Today, we traveled four hours by bus from Paris to Normandy. Along the way, Ray Pfeiffer, one of our tour guides, provided us the history of France and its vital relationship with the United States since the American Revolution to present day. We also watched an episode of the “Band of Brothers” to help set the tone for the day. In the first five minutes of the movie, I realized I had heard an almost identical story from my paratrooper veteran, Alvin, making these stories come alive for me.

We arrived in Port-en-Bessen, which divided Omaha and Gold Beaches. It was such a quaint little town that seemed so peaceful, but only five of our group could really grasp the horror that occurred years ago. The veterans absolutely loved being at the beach, but it also brought back so many memories. With tears in their eyes, they shared bit by bit a little portion of their past with us. What was so amazing and inspiring to me was the way the locals reacted to our veterans at the Bayeux Cathedral of Notre Dame, a magnificent structure built in 1077 and damaged during the WWII. With each person Alvin and I passed, the people would stop and take time to thank him with the little broken English that they knew. Pictures, autographs, and “Merci” (thank you) were commonplace. This opened my eyes to how grateful the French continue to be for the sacrifices made by our veterans.

The great end to a long day culminated over dinner. After formal introductions, the veterans’ stories started pouring straight from their hearts. To hear how these men, one as young as 15 years-old, went into battle gave me the chills. One story that particularly touched my heart was Alvin Henderson’s. After stopping to help a wounded comrade, he was captured by the Germans, taken to a prison camp and treated horribly. Trying to hold his emotions together, he spoke of being beaten by German soldiers with no way to fight back. If I have learned anything from these veterans already, it is their sense of Duty and Loyalty. And they remain loyal to each other to this day.

The emotion that surrounded the stories from tonight came from the depths of their hearts. I feel so lucky and so blessed to be able to be a part of these men’s’ lives. Only now do I realize that we have not asked enough questions of these men. The number of WWII veterans is dwindling, but I count my blessings to have had the opportunity to know five of the most wonderful gentlemen.

Lindsay Cooper

October 3, 2010—“Le Tour de Paris”

We began the day with an eight hour flight from Atlanta, GA to Paris, France. At 4:00 a.m., the cabin lights came on and we were served our first breakfast. We touched down almost an hour ahead of schedule, at about 5:15 a.m. For the most part, the flight was uneventful until we landed at the airport in Paris. Up to this point all had gone smoothly. We exited the plane and went to claim our baggage where we waited for about 20 minutes for just a few of our bags. After that we began to worry. Another 30 minutes went by with no sign of our baggage. Finally, someone told us that our bags had been delivered to a different baggage claim but that they were on the way. All bags were finally accounted for after an hour!

After our fun at the baggage claim, it was time for breakfast number two, which was at our hotel in Roissy, a couple minutes away from the airport. Then we began our four hour window bus tour of the beautiful city of Paris. It was a great experience to be able to see all the different buildings and architecture that is found here, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Louve. We also travelled down the cobblestone road that led to the Arc de Triumph where the WWII veterans marched triumphantly through town in August, 1944. It was pretty amazing to see WWII bullet holes in many of the buildings that are still in use today. The hardest part of the day was towards the end of our bus tour when we were all struggling to stay awake. Tomorrow we are on the road to Normandy.

Jordan Conner

October 2--“Lovin’ them came easy”

Coming to the day of our departure I was excited, but could still not believe this was actually happening. It became reality when we met Mr. Albert Schultz and Ralph “Jumping” Manley at the Springfield Airport. It was amazing how soon I bonded with them. Ralph is so thankful for everything and Albert is just the sweetest gentleman.

For me, this was my first experience in an airport and flying. When boarding the plane to Atlanta my nerves set in, but were quickly taken away when I took a seat next to Mr. Schultz. The whole fight to Atlanta we continuously checked on each other, talked about anything and everything, and just overall developed a bond. In Atlanta, we met up with the remaining three veterans and how inviting they were! I can truly say I love them all so much already. Mr. Schultz also sat with me on the way to Paris; for eight hours he played the caring grandpa toward me and I played the curious grandchild, asking questions and listening to him. We made it safely to the beautiful city of Paris and so the life changing adventure begins.

Michelle Boillot