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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
JHS sends students to Europe for WWII tour
TOUR WWII SITES
These Jefferson High School seniors toured World War II sites across Europe in the
spring. Here they are shown with a war tank.
TWENTY-THREE students
from Jefferson High School
recently toured World War II
sites across Europe, including
the beaches at Normandy, a
German concentration camp
and the Palace of Justice where
the Nuremberg trials were held
for Nazi war criminals.
The students also visited
the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame
cathedral and the Louvre, as
well as other European sites.
This is the third year social
studies teacher Bob Pittard has
taken a group of seniors on
the WWII tour. Pittard, who
teaches a World War II course
at JHS, said this year's trip was
the best to date.
The itinerary follows: Day
1, leave Atlanta; Day 2, Paris;
Day 3, beaches of Normandy;
Day 4, Compiegne, France,
where the French surrendered
to the Germans, Luxemburg
City and Gen. George
Patton’s grave; Days 5 and 6,
Nuremburg, Germany, includ
ing the Palace of Justice where
the Nuremburg Trials were
held for Nazi war criminals;
Day 7, Nazi Rally Grounds,
Leopold Arena, Zeppelin
Field and Congress Hall; Day
8, Weimar, Germany, and
Buchenwald concentration
camp, then on to Berlin for a
walking tour; Day 9, Olympic
grounds and Wannsee Villas;
Day 10, Berchtesgaden, home
to Hitler and the Eagle's Nest;
Day 11, Munich, Germany, for
a walking and bus tour, then
on to Dachau; Day 12, return
to Atlanta.
Those who attended this year
include: Nick Pendleton, Virgil
Appleby, Josh Harper, Tom
Buffington, Welsey Milton,
Cam Thurmond, Emily Ansley,
Emily Jacobs, Dillan Greeson,
Lacie Bradley, Megan Davis,
Chelsea Sikes, Courtney
Clarke, Jessica Johnson,
Jessica Herron, Christian
Johnson, Rachel Andrews,
Sharon Arnold, Charlie T.
Williams, Kyle Roberds, Brian
Thompson, Josh James and
Logan Stevens. Teacher chap
erones were Pittard, Laurie
Davidson, Katie Smith and
Charles Elfer.
CONCENTRATION CAMP
Students from Jefferson High School visited various
European sites associated with World War II in the
spring, including two German concentration camps.
A student’s thoughts on the Jefferson
High School WWII Europe trip
By Dillan Greeson
ON APRIL 27, some fellow
classmates and I embarked
on what would be the trip
of a lifetime. The events,
people and places we visited
are things I'll never forget.
For me, this was more than
just a chance to get out of
the country, but was also a
chance to actually go and see
firsthand the places I had read
and heard about, and seen
only on TV. I have a passion
for World War II and I always
have had it. It was a long time
coming and I could not wait
to take off.
We left our school around
11 a.m. or so and headed for
the airport. It was my first
time flying and also my first
time at the airport. The airport
was not as bad as I had heard
and neither was the flight.
The only bad thing was it was
10 hours non-stop of hearing
Mr. Bob Pittard telling me I
was about to die. I was able
to block most of it out, but I
will admit I was nervous the
whole time. After 10 hours of
non-stop flying, we reached
our first destination.. .Paris.
Landing in Paris was unique
due to the fact there was prob
ably a foot of rainwater on the
landing strip. In the airport, I
got my first glimpse of what
it felt like to be in another
country. Everyone around
me, except for my group, was
speaking a different language,
and also every sign was in
a different language. We got
through the airport and met
up with our bus driver, Hari,
without incident. We then
proceeded to go around Paris.
We saw everything there
was to see pretty much in
the city. For example, the
Eiffel Tower, the Invalides,
the Louvre and the Arc de
Triumph. I also experienced
the people there in Paris and it
was not a pleasant encounter.
Paris was sort of a letdown
due to the nature of the people
and it just lacked something I
thought it would have.
Our next stop was
Normandy.
Visiting the beaches of
Normandy was by far my
favorite part of the trip. It
was really the only place you
could see the “scars” of the
war. There we were able to
climb in German bunkers and
pillboxes, and also into run
down bomb craters.
Out of the beaches, Omaha
Beach was my favorite one.
The memorial there is breath
taking. It holds the graves of
over 9,000 young Americans
who paid the ultimate price to
liberate foreign soil and end
the Nazi threat. The cemetery
is a very sobering place, and
it’s hard not to feel something
when you see it. I also felt
strongly when I walked on the
actual beach itself and I just
tried to picture the carnage and
struggles that happened there.
We also visited St. Mere
Eglise and Pointe du-Hoc.
The next place we visited was
Compiegne.
Compiegne was a small city
with no real significance. The
woods outside it was where
everything took place. We vis
ited the site where WWI ended
and where Adolf Hitler forced
France to surrender after con
quering it in 10 days. There are
numerous WWI monuments
there and I thought it was funny
how Hitler had them blown up
and how he used the same rail
road car that Germany had sur
rendered in to make the French
surrender in as well. After a
while of looking around and a
SIGHTSEEING IN FRANCE
PROPER FLAG PROCEDURE
Jefferson High School students were instructed in the proper way to fold the
American flag while at the U.S. cemetery at Normandy.
brief history lesson, we loaded
up and drove to Belgium.
Bastogne Belgium was the
site of the largest battle the
United States was ever in. This
battle was the Battle of the
Bulge and this place is where
the 101st Airborne held off
the German onslaught even
though they were greatly out
numbered.
We then went through
Luxembourg where we stopped
at another cemetery. This is
where General George Patton
was buried and also where I
was given the honor of taking
down the flag. We then trav
eled to the dark and dull city
of Saarbrucken. Nothing really
took place there. The next day
we visited Buchenwald con
centration camp and the city
of Weimer.
Buchenwald concentration
camp really opens your eyes
to some of the horrors that
inmates there suffered. It sheds
light on what happened during
the Holocaust and is very mov
ing. Weimar is the old capital
of the Weimer Republic. This
was the capital of Germany
between WWI and WWII.
Next was Nuremberg. This
was an old city with an old-
style feel to it. It was laid back
and was a place where many
of the Nazi rallies were held.
After that there was Berlin.
Berlin was a large city and we
did not have a lot of time to see
what all it had to offer, but we
covered most of it. From there
we went to Branau, Austria,
where Hitler was bom.
Then we went to
Berchtesgaden, which is locat
ed in the Alps. This is the
home of the Eagle’s Nest and
home to many Nazi leaders.
It was a beautiful town and
was my favorite town, as well.
The view of the Alps when we
woke that morning was unbe
lievable.
The next day we found our
selves at Dachau...this was
another concentration camp.
It had more to offer than
Buchenwald and it for some
reason touched me more than
I expected. After seeing this
camp I know for a fact that
our participation in the wai
was very justified. It's hard to
believe that a human can do
that to another human.
From Dachau we went to
Munich, where we would end
our trip. We stayed two nights
in this city and I experienced
the most culture here. The Iasi
full day we had, I found myseli
alone and about in the middle
of the town shopping and jusl
soaking it up for myself. I also
had one of the best meals oi
my life here and I will not ever
forget it. Of all the large cities,
Munich was my favorite one.
We departed from Munich
after 10 days of roaming about
Europe and were ready to be
home but sad to leave. I hope
one day to return to Europe on
another trip because this was
one of the best experiences oi
my life. I have to say thanks to
all involved on selecting me to
go and a special thanks to Mr.
Pittard, who might be the only
one who knows more than I do
about WWII.
Oh, and one more thing for
Mr. Pittard.. .I'm still alive!
While in France, Jefferson High School students also
visited the Eiffel Tower.
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