The history of the world is fascinating. The connection between events in one country and those in another can sometimes seem unreal. Similar to how the Ottoman Empire was thriving at the same time as the Wild West expansion, and the last samurai of Japan still lived. It can be hard to comprehend that traditional samurai swords and cowboy six-shooters were making history simultaneously.

Todd Anton, a history teacher at Heritage, has a way of making history come to life for his students. As one of his former students, I can attest to the engaging and exciting nature of his history lessons. Anton wanted to create an unforgettable trip that followed the deployment of four brothers during the tumultuous time of World War II (Anton’s historical specialty).

The trip was not just about making history come alive for those attending; it also held great significance for Anton, as many of the places we visited were also places his father, Wallace P. Anton, had visited during his World War II deployment. The trip's itinerary began in London, crossed the Channel to Normandy, snaked its way through Bastogne, and concluded in Munich. The countries visited were the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Austria, and Germany. Working with the World Strides company, Anton took his classroom to the root of his lessons. Like when I was Anton’s student at Heritage, the group and I had an unforgettable, whirlwind ten-day tour of World War II from the remnants and memories of the front lines.

 

The day we landed in London, UK, was not a day of rest for us. We hit the ground running once we got through customs and collected our bags. After dropping off our things at the hotel for the night and grabbing a quick lunch, we all followed our guide for the next ten days, Angus, down to the tube and made our way to the Imperial War Museum. Through our history lessons growing up, we learn about World War II from the American perspective, often starting the conflict in 1941 with the attack at Pearl Harbor. So often we forget that the war began in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war. The Imperial War Museum is filled with history from Britain’s perspective, from the start of the conflict through the involvement of American troops to the climactic end of the conflict. Every corner of the building is filled with knowledge about the war and education on some conflicts and battles that American schools often overlook or never mention.

 

The Imperial War Museum showcased planes that participated in the war. Both those that were intact and those that had been shot down. Walking through paths lined with items and machines from the war took me back in time, as I tried to imagine the immense struggle and resilience of the soldiers fighting in the war. One of the most memorable experiences in London that helped me visualize what was happening during the war was visiting Churchill’s War Rooms. The underground bunker served as the Western Front’s headquarters, where Churchill and his advisors monitored troop movements, collected intercepted information, and determined the best course of action before issuing orders to soldiers on the front lines. The bunker has been frozen in time, untouched since the day of peace at the end of the war, when the doors were closed. Pinned maps, made-up bunks, and Churchill’s chair, where you can see the marks he left behind while he worked to win the second-largest war in history, all convey the immense duty those who used the offices carried on their shoulders.

 

Outside of these larger-than-life museum visits, the group got the chance to watch the parade of troops at the end of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, see the Victoria Tower during the chiming of Big Ben, walk through Trafalgar Square, and enjoy a classic fish n chips at the Prince of Wales Pub with a cold pint for those who wanted one. Our second night of the trip was spent on a ferry from Portsmouth, UK, to Caen, France. Although the option to travel by plane or train (the Chunnel) existed, Anton wanted us to get closer to our soldier who had fought during the D-Day battles. The ferry was meant to emulate the crossing of the English Channel that our uniformed boys did the night before landing on the beaches of Normandy.

Though our trip across the Channel was calm, the waters were rough and unpredictable during the Normandy invasion. Feeling the cold air on my cheeks while I stood out on the deck made me wonder how many of the soldiers did the same thing, thinking of home, as they stood on naval ships bound for battle. How many of those soldiers talked about their dreams of the future with fellow brothers in arms while preparing for the fight ahead? How many of those brave boys lost their lives fighting for freedom? So much happened, and we visited so many memorable and impactful places in France, that I need to write a separate article about them. The trip with Anton was emotional and connected me to a history that was so hard to comprehend. I hope you have enjoyed reading this brief glimpse into the trip, and I look forward to sharing more in the next article.