During spring break, the Department of History executed a staff ride to Normandy, France. After participating in several sessions that familiarized them with the Normandy campaign, twelve cadets accompanied Professor Randy Roberts, LTC Rick Black, and CPTs Greg Hope and Eric Smith to a variety of different locations in the Norman countryside where the Allies invaded France in June 1944.
To fully immerse the cadets in both the history and culture of the region, the cadets visited British, Canadian, and American battle sites during the trip. Each cadet prepared especially for a particular stand during the trip, adding intellectual rigor to their visit. While staying in Caen, the cadets visited Juno Beach, Pegasus Bridge, and a variety of different sites associated with British attempts to break out of the front near the Orne River. The group then moved on to Bayeux where the cadets then studied the American side of the campaign. The trip had many highlights, including a personal tour of Brecourt Manor, where E/506th made its famous assault on a German artillery battery, as well as an opportunity to lay a wreath at Omaha Cemetery commemorating the Americans who died liberating Europe.
Following their stay in Normandy, the group returned to Paris for two days to meet with veterans of the French 2nd Armored Division. There, the cadets met former Chief of Staff of the French Army General Bruno Cuche and received a tour of the World War Two portion of the museum at Les Invalides. While there, the cadets saw the tomb of Marshal Leclerc as well as the monument to Napoleon. Following this visit, the cadets then met with veterans of the French 2nd Armored Division at a lunch hosted at the Marshal Leclerc Foundation. This final visit granted cadets an appreciation of the role that the Free French played in the liberation of their country.