Being at the National D-Day Museum is a humbling experience even if today was orientation and training attached you will find pictures of artifacts each with a story behind it. The above medic arm band belonged to Dr. Robert Ware he was supposed to serve as a battalion surgeon on D-Day setting up a field hospital as soon as possible post landing to treat the wounded. Unfortunately, Ware age 29 never got the chance to save lives, he lost his own when he was hit and killed by enemy fire immediately after exiting his landing craft. Weeks later the medic armband Ware wore that day was returned to his family who subsequently donated it to the museum. The Quonset Hut used for housing and hospitals during both WWII and the Korean War houses the classroom where I will be teaching lessons on D-Day to visitors over the next coming months. It also houses the artifacts room which host a treasure trove of German and American artifacts brought home by returning American servicemen that were eventually donated to the museum. Finally, the most sobering item I worked with today were actual Western Union telegrams used to inform loved ones of service personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day. I did have to spend two hrs. out in subzero temperatures conducting D-Day tours with my trainer this afternoon the fortunate part–I have been to Normandy France several times during my time in the Air Force and was able to share personal stories that all the visitors really enjoyed and give advice to a couple planning to visit Normandy and Berlin next year on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landing. For those in the local area come out to the museum over the next several months to one of my classes or tours but wait until the weather warms up that wind coming off Peaks of Otter Mountain is unforgiving, I don’t care how much winter gear you have on as a couple from North Carolina discovered this afternoon–I will post more pictures and eventually a Pod-Cast I will be working on to go with my dissertation. which covers ” The Unknown Stories of D-Day—I will be talking about the only woman who landed on Omaha Beach on D. Day as well as the 330th Signal Balloon Company the only African American Unit to participate in the D-Day landing and a host of other stories like Dr. Ware mentioned above. My mission at the museum as my trainer stated clearly is to re-tell this important American History Story as the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landing approaches in June 2024…