World War II is one of the most important chapters in American history. Though the battles ended long ago, many people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are working to preserve the personal stories that came out of the conflict and pass that wisdom on to the next generation.
Students from East Meadow High School came to Nassau Community College on Oct. 24 to hear from the descendants and successors of World War II’s American and French heroes. This civics summit brought in high school students from over 20 different districts in Nassau County, mixing lessons about the right to vote with the history of those who fought to protect it.
Assistant Superintendent Dave Spinnato led a presentation describing the new Flags for Freedom initiative, a program made possible in partnership with Operation Democracy. The Locust Valley nonprofit’s mission is to strengthen young people’s bond with history and commitment to freedom, democracy, and ethical leadership.
“This honored the significance and symbolism of the American flag and instilled this sense of patriotism and civic responsibility in our students,” he said.
Last May, East Meadow’s first ceremony had the U.S. military veterans of East Meadow American Legion Post 1082 give each of the 660 graduating seniors a folded American flag.
Cathy Soref is Operation Democracy’s President Emeritus. During her presentation to the students, she described what motivated soldiers to fight on behalf of the oppressed in World War II, and what lesson should be taken away for today.
“Along with our rights go responsibility, and civics teaches us the reason for this,” Soref said, “and deeper is ethics, and ethics is our moral responsibility to do what we know is right.”
Operation Democracy is a program that builds from the historical connection between Long Island and Normandy.
“In 2005, I rediscovered a forgotten history between my hometown of Locust Valley and the first town liberated during the invasion of Normandy: Sainte-Mère-Église,” Soref said.
The link came in the form of one Lieutenant Colonel Augustin Hart Jr., a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, who selected the French town to be among the first freed during the invasion of Normandy. This town is the burial site for thousands of American soldiers.
To this day, Operation Democracy’s sister city in France is Sainte-Mère-Église. From France came the mayor of Normandy, Jean Quetier, in addition to another guest.
On the cover of Le Monde Illustre magazine’s August 23, 1947 edition, a young French boy named Maurice Renaud places a handful flowers on the white-crossed grave of Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. who died retaking Normandy. In the years following, his mother Simone — commonly known as “The Mother of Normandy” — made a great effort to tend the 13,000 graves of soldiers who gave their lives to protect her and her family.
His mother connected with families in America who could not afford to visit France, offering them what consolation she could: “She made a picture of each grave and sent them flowers,” he said. “With my brother, we were going with my mother all the time to put flowers on the graves.”
Nowadays, Renaud’s hair has gone as white as his suit, but the enthusiasm he has for the bond between France and the United States has not lessened.
The two French men spoke with students about the story of Normandy and what it meant to the people who lived there. This opportunity was made possible by Andgie Demoncy, vice president of Amis des Veterans Americains, a project of Operation Democracy.
“I’ve learned about Normandy when I was pretty young… I’ve always had that gratitude for the American people,” Demoncy said. “I found a purpose of what I wanted to do when I joined that charity.”
Hellen Patton, the granddaughter of the iconic General George Patton, was a keynote speaker for the event.
Patton’s stories about her grandfather pulled the veil back on the myths surrounding the man, exploring his upbringing, philosophy and character quirks that made him who he was. Underneath the image of a stern soldier was a man with a short temper, superstitions about his ancestry, and an overwhelming sense of independence — for all his flaws, he still achieved great things, including the timely rescue of hundreds of soldiers of his own initiative.
“What I wanted to communicate today, more than anything, is that if we see ourselves in a role, destiny will derail you and quickly put you in the right direction,” Patton said.
To learn more about Operation Democracy, visit OperationDemocracy.org.
