War is certainly never a good thing, but sometimes it happens. I was shown over a week’s time how rewarding the experience can be for a nation.
I began my trip in Bastogne, Belgium, a place where Americans are held in the highest esteem. Even young children waved American flags in front of school courtyards as the veterans I was accompanying walked past. During World War II, my grandfather Sgt. Buck Thompson, 513th division of the 17th Airborne, defended this city from Hitler and the Nazi regime at 18 years of age. I ended my tour on the beaches of Normandy in northern France. Being 21, I was thrown by the thought of entering the bloody battles I learned about.
On a bus trip around southwestern Belgium, I met Americans from all corners of the country with all different backgrounds. We visited American cemeteries, memorials, museums and towns that pertained to the history of World War II. I think the experience brought together a wide array of Americans on that bus in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.
My family and I visited Normandy, the scene of the infamous D-Day, by ourselves instead of with a large group. It was eye-opening to learn that, due to the beach’s terrain and defenses, a single German machine gunner could take out over 1,000 Americans by themselves. It put in perspective what we as Americans gave up to earn freedom for our allies overseas.
The trip was memorable for many reasons, but what it did most for me was help show the silver lining of war. We as Americans can come together as one no matter our differences when we fight for liberty and justice for all.
Jake Remes can be reached at reme7110@stthomas.edu.