Wednesday, August 5, 2015

CT Student & Teacher Return Home from WWII History Lesson in Normandy

View as PDF

For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Zaccaro
chris.zaccaro@cga.ct.gov
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116

Hartford, CT - Teacher Lisa-Brit Wahlberg and her student, Connor Lisle, from The Master’s School in History Day in Connecticut, an affiliate program of National History Day, on the trip.
Simsbury recently returned from Normandy, France after they had the experience of a lifetime. They were one of fifteen student and teacher pairs who participated in the Albert H. Small Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom Student and Teacher Institute. Lisa-Brit and Connor represented


The 2015 Normandy Institute Group at Utah Beach in France

Each teacher and student pair researched a service member from their home state who died in the Normandy Invasion. Connor and his teacher explored the life of Harlan E Rugg, a second lieutenant in the 101st Airborne AAA Division from Fairfield, Connecticut. Harlan served as a Glider trooper, landing behind enemy lines on June 6, 1944. He was 22 years old when he was killed. Connor conducted extensive research at museums and historical societies, including the Fairfield Museum, about his "Silent Hero." The fifteen soldiers researched by participants were honored with eulogies read by the students at their graves in the American cemetery in Normandy, France. The teams created websites about their soldier.

"The Normandy Institute allowed me to see historical locations and hear firsthand from primary sources about how the Battle of Normandy was fought and understand about the human sacrifice our soldiers made for our freedom and the people of France, "commented Ms. Wahlberg. "I plan," she continued "to bring these influences back into my classroom."

The Albert H. Small Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom Student and Teacher Institute seeks to teach a new generation about the sacrifices and challenges faced during World War II. The program is coordinated by National History Day and is funded by a generous donation from Mr. Albert H. Small, a veteran himself. In its fifth year, the program brings students and teachers from around the world to Washington, D.C. for visits to the National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery, and lectures from World War II veterans and historians. The final stage was a journey to Normandy, France where participants traced the route of their Silent Hero, walked on the beaches of Normandy, and, using their extensive research, read a powerful eulogy at the grave of their Silent Hero.
 
History Day in Connecticut is an affiliate program of the renowned academic program, National History Day (NHD).  The program is led by Connecticut’s Old State House with support from the Connecticut Historical Society, the Connecticut League of History Organizations, and ConnecticutHistory.org. Major funding is provided by Connecticut Humanities. For more information, contact History Day in Connecticut State Coordinator Rebecca Taber-Conover at 860-522-6766, ext. 11 or rebecca.taber-conover@cga.ct.gov.

 Learn more about History Day in Connecticut by visiting its webpage http://ct.nhd.org, liking the program on Facebook, or following on Twitter. The National History Day website may be viewed at http://www.nhd.org.
 

No comments: