They Gave Their Lives to Fight Tyranny, and Now Their Stories Will Be Told
Since the Institute's inception, the cornerstone project of the program is the Colleville-sur-Mer research project. Each team picks a soldier from their hometown (or close) who is currently buried in the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. The team will research the life of this soldier from birth to death, utilizing a number of resources in order to find out who this soldier was. The student and teacher will then present their findings to not only their peers, but also the Cemetery itself. While in Normandy, each team will visit their soldier's grave and deliver the eulogy that they have been owed since their service came to an end.
Here are Just a Few that Students in the Past have Researched and Eulogized
Soldier
PFC Benjamin R. Firestone Pvt. Harold Mercer, Jr PFC Raymond Tavanico T5 Luther Lloyd Waugh Pvt Earle F. Williams Jr. PFC John Vincent Carr SSgt Alfred McCunniff 1st Lt. Don E Colton Pvt. Leo A Indelicato Tech. Sgt. Frank P. La Bella 1st Lt Edmund Duckworth PFC Louie Hernandez PFC Lawrence T. Riley PFC Ruel H. Wilson PFC William Howard Byers PFC Robert Bachar 1st Lt. Melvin M. Spruiell Capt. Richard L. Davidson PFC Nathan Garnitz Capt. Demarrah L. Turner 2nd Lt. Fred Wallace Jr. SSgt. Mitchell Bacon TSgt. William Thomas Lemon 1st Lt. Robert W. Ahern, Jr. Pvt. Andrew Babjak Flight Officer Steve Casimir Baran 2d LT Louis J. Beatrice Cpl. Frank E. Benson Pvt. Jack R. Billings Tech. Sgt. Durwood H. Brown Pvt. Roger G. Brulotte Seaman 1st Class Fletcher Burton 1st Lt. Bernard G. Bucior T3 Abram J. Butts 1st Lt. Julian “Rex” Buzzett 2d Lt. Vincent Byrne Pvt. John Michael Cabey TSgt. Clarence C. Campbell 2d Lt. Franklin R. Chaimson PFC Charles J. Cheetham 2nd Lt.Donald V. Chubb Pvt. Albert L. Cobb, Jr. Sgt. Edward L. Currier PFC John W. Davis Pvt. William DeVellis PFC Nicholas J. Dieter 1st Lt. Harold C. Donaldson PFC. John J. Donovan Capt. Louis Drnovich Pvt. George T. Durante Cpl. Edmond Paul Elisar Pvt. Fredrick George Ellingham, Jr. Sgt. Aaron Woodrozwe Essex 1st Lt. Morton C. Eustis SSgt. Leo H. Flaherty Cpl. Joseph W. Foraker, Jr. Pvt. John Henry Funk Capt. Jerre S. Gross 1st Lt. Arthur L. Gump 1st Lt. Walter J. Gunther, Jr. PFC Terrence C. Harris 1st Lt. Louis E. Hartman 1st Lt. Theodore S. Henderson Major William H. Houston 2nd Lt. Edward T "Ted". Jenkins, III 2nd Lt. Larry F. Kallish 2nd Lt. Richard A. "Rick" Kersting Pvt. Thomas A Kopystecki Capt. Laurence A. Madill SSgt. Norman G. Manning PFC Gordon C Mannix PFC Joseph F. Maragioglio Pvt. Ernest R. Martin Pvt. Aram Menzigian 1st Lt. William Heyward Messer SSgt. Clarence Mohler SSgt. William “Bill” Moreland SSgt James A. "Jim" O'Hearn Coxswain Anthony A. Oliver Sgt. Everette Osgood Jr. Cpl. T5 Leo P. Packham Pvt. William “Billy” D. Parker Sgt Robert J. Raymond Albert B. Reisinger, Jr. 2d Lt.Harlan E. Rugg James A Ryan, Jr. PFC Anthony Salemi Sgt. Grover Lee Scoggins PFC Robert N Shotton SSgt. Frederick D. Smith PFC Rudolph Stalzer T5 Joe T. Stokes PFC Edward D. Verdugo SSgt. Richard V. Weber SSgt. Richard F. Westdahl PFC James R. "Whit" Whitcomb Lt Col. John Ward Wynne Pvt. Cecil E. Garner Pvt. John Harris S. Sgt. James McMahon MoM2 Joseph Vanasky Jr. Corp Eugene Morrison Sgt. John Ray Tech 5 Terrence Cosgriff Major Courney Neilson Pvt. Arvid Setran Corp. Albert Jensen 2nd Lt. Dean Woods Pvt. Ruben Tellez PVC Horace Bennino Tech 5 Frank Bennino 1st Lt. Brigido Gonzalez S. Sgt. John Guerrero |
State
Pennsylvania Ohio Arizona Kansas California Pennsylvania Colorado Utah New York Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Colorado Minnesota California Washington, D.C. Massachusetts Alabama Virginia Indiana Alabama Tennessee West Virginia Virginia Ohio Connecticut Illinois Connecticut Connecticut Michigan Texas Maine Rhode Island Connecticut Pennsylvania Florida Massachusetts Massachusetts Hawaii Washington, DC New Jersey Pennsylvania Georgia Massachusetts Maryland Florida Maryland Texas New York California New Jersey Louisiana New York Indiana Washington, DC Massachusetts Texas Oregon California New Mexico Massachusetts California Pennsylvania California California New York Illinois Ohio Pennsylvania Florida New Jersey Connecticut New York Pennsyvlania Massachusetts Florida Nevada Kansas New Jersey Rhode Island Illinois California Florida New York Pennsylvania Connecticut Pennsylvania Washington, DC Texas Washington, DC Connecticut New York Texas California New York California Colorado Arizona Oklahoma District of Columbia Iowa Ohio Oregon Louisiana Washington Indiana Minnesota Vermont Nebraska California Connecticut Connecticut Nevada Texas |
Unit
12th Engineer Battalion, 8th Infantry Div 501st PIR, 101 Airborne Division 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Inf. Div. 29th Field Artillery, 4th Inf. Division 501st PIR, 101st Airborne Division 23rd Infantry Reg. 2nd Inf. Div. 357th Inf. Reg., 90th Inf. Div. 67th Tactical Recon Group,107th Sqn 299th Engineer Combat Battalion 331st Inf. Reg., 83rd Inf. Div. 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Inf. Div. 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Inf. Div. 502nd PIR, 101 Airborne Division 501st PIR, 101 Airborne Division 116th Infantry Regiment., 29th Inf. Div. Band, 9th Infantry Division 377th Field Art, 101st Airborne Div. Artillery 502 PIR, 101 Airborne Division 47th Inf. Reg., 9th Infantry Division 370th Fighter Grp, 485th Fighter Sqn 957th Field Artillery Battalion 314 Troop Carrier Group, 50th Sqn. 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Inf. Div. 55th Fighter Sq., 20th Fighter Group 508th PIR; 82nd AB 91st Sqn, 439th Troop Carrier Group 119th Inf. 30th ID Counter Intel. Corps., 101st Airborne 16th Inf., 1st, ID 23rd Inf., 2nd ID 116th Inf., 29th ID US Coast Guard; LCI(L) 94 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne 18th IR, 1st ID 327th Combat Engineers 112th IR, 28th ID 17th Eng. Bn, 2d AD 8th Inf.; 4th ID 709th Bomber Sqn, 447th Bomber Grp 506th PIR, 101st Airborne 547th Bomber Sqn, 384th Bomb Grp 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne 329th Inf.; 83rd ID 115th Inf.; 29th ID 22nd Inf.; 4th ID 175th Inf.; 29th ID B Company.,116th IR, 29th ID 16th Inf., 1st ID 37th Engineer Combat Bn 23rd IR, 2nd ID 447th AA Arty Bn 8th Inf.; 4th ID 262nd IR, 66th ID 82nd Recon Bn, 2nd AD 12th IR, 4th ID 300th Engineer Combat Bn 502nd PIR, 101st AB 506th PIR; 101st Airborne 113rd Chem Processing Co. 506th PIR, 101st AB 506th PIR, 101st AB 573rd Bomb Sqn. 391st Bomber Grp 28th Inf., 8th ID 307th Med. Co.; 82nd Airborne 39th Inf., 9th ID 183rd Field Arty 246th Engineer Combat Bn 121st Inf.; 8th ID 116th IR, 29th ID 8th Inf.; 4th ID 2d Platoon, C Co.; 87th Chem Bn 115th IR, 29th ID 119th IR, 30th ID 116th Inf.; 29th ID 18th Inf.; 1st ID 60th Inf.; 9th ID 149th Engineer Bn 175th Inf. 29th ID U.S. Navy 330th Inf.; 83rd ID 501st PIR, 101st Airborne Division 325th Glider Inf.; 82nd Airborne C Co, 2nd Ranger BN 38th Inf. 2nd ID 81st AA Bn, 101st Airborne 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne 501st PIR, 101st Airborne 534th Bomber Sqn; 381st Bomber Grp 60th Medical Bn 2nd Ranger Bn 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne 9th Inf Rgmt, 2nd ID 116th IR, 29th ID 849th Bomber Sqn, 490th Bomb Grp. 358th Inf.; 90th ID 320th Inf. 35th Div. 509th Port Bn(?) 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd ID 1323rd Engineer GS Regiment 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th ID United States Naval Reserve 501st PIR, 101st Airborne 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne 119th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Bn 377th Field Artillery Bn, 101st Airborne 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th ID 70th Tank Battalion 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th ID 506th PIR, 101st Airborne 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th ID 321st Ordnance Battalion 67th Armored, 2nd Armored Division 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th ID |
Student
Nico Krause Xander Sims Zia Rice Bensch Shelby Adams Cooper Esquibel Thomas Kondrich Caitlin Ogoe Michael Aldous Abbey Augur Noor Bukhari Lauren Craig Elizabeth Crim Salmah Elmasry Darius Friedhof Jayne Zirkle Briana Granados Rebecca House Liam Kellogg Brendan Quinn Anna Renner Duke Hicks Richey Emily Rinick Vincent Verrocchio II Susannah Wilson Thompson Hunt Adam Bieniek Tyler Woods Katherine Willard Annabel LaBrecque William Roche Jared Johnson Ted Bracken Zack Sowinski Nicole Panoc Samantha Lewis Alexandra Kruse Brianna Bailey Christopher Ching Kendrick Chang Logan Davis Keegan Shirel Jeffrey Romeu Hannah Radner Frankee Lyons John Mosier Kerry Lanzo Andrea Marshall Deanna Kim Stephen Costello David Seibel Margaret Talbot Benjamin Kanfer Kate Hollenkamp Andy Bacas Dan Howlett Sam Nohra Miles Stepleton Elisa Cimento John Stiff Nicholas McGrath Addie Weingard Samantha Zinnen Brian Hines Vincent Nordin Ted Bracken Nicholas Holy Ted Bracken Christian Schaeffer Raveena Ugale Christopher Mastellone Timothy (“Tim”) King Megan Maggi Alison Dundore Pavla Ovtchinnikova Jonathan Adams Stefania Cotei Robert Hanson Ted Bracken Katherine Keimig Alexandra Borchardt Mikayla Kurland Rodolfo Martinez-Don Travis Ratner Connor Woods Kendra Clymer Ben Kershner Eddie Abascal Megan FitzGerald Sicheng Jiang Lt. Alex Smith USN Ali Dielman J.R. Goetz Edward Rickford Ethan Kelley Brian Liu Ted Bracken Karl Pederson Taylor Bromlow Erick Chavez Jake Eden Samantha Fletcher Brandon Gunn Kalie Indest Joseph Landoni Jason Lewis Lacy Myrman Richard Otis Michel Shimek Tiffany Shumack Jenna Stone " " Phalguni Vetrichelvan Ethan Webster |