On June 12, 1944, six days after D-Day, paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division liberated the French town of Carentan, uniting the American-held beachheads on Omaha and Utah Beach. The people of Carentan never forgot about their liberation and today still host visiting 101st soldiers. Local teenagers even help teach American soldiers about the battle.
Some of those teenagers, about 30 students from Institution Notre Dame, came to Arlington National Cemetery on April 15, 2024, to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to honor America’s fallen. They invited Gen. Andrew Poppas, commander of U.S. Army Forces Command, to participate in the ceremony with them.
Poppas has a strong connection with D-Day airborne operations and with Carentan. As a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division, he parachuted onto a field near the village of Sainte-Mère-Église during the D-Day 60th anniversary commemoration. Later, as commander of the 101st Airborne Division, he returned to France and stayed in Carentan, making friends with the townspeople and the leaders, who he invited to Fort Campbell. He also connected the 101st to the local schools.
Referring to the students standing around him in the Memorial Amphitheater, Poppas explained, “This school went to Fort Campbell last year and met with soldiers from the 101st. They also briefed the soldiers on the operations in Carentan.”
When it came time to lay the wreath, 14-year-old Leia Emery stood next to Poppas while two other students stood behind them. They walked down the steps from the Memorial Amphitheater to the Memorial Plaza and laid the wreath. As a bugler sounded Taps, Poppas saluted, and the students placed their hands over their hearts.
Afterward, Emery admitted to being a little nervous but emphasized that the wreath laying “was something really important.” She added that life in Carentan is relatively quiet until June approaches. “Then it’s really busy.” Emery served as the group’s interpreter as her parents, retired U.S. military service members living outside of Carentan, had taught her English.
The ceremony prompted Poppas to reflect on the sacrifices of friends in uniform, noting that many soldiers he served with are buried at Arlington. He often brings his family to visit graves and talks about the soldiers laid to rest at ANC. “It’s always very solemn,” he added, “and its personal because we were friends.”
The wreath laying also had a profound impact on one of the French parents in attendance. “It was amazing,” said Laure Lemonnier, whose husband sometimes plays Taps on his own trumpet. “When I heard it, I cried.”
Once the ceremony ended, ANC Historian Tim Frank gave the students a tour of the Memorial Amphitheater’s Display Room, which features an exhibit on the history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier—including France’s important role in inspiring the Tomb’s creation and facilitating the selection of the World War I Unknown in 1921. Poppas himself epitomized the enduring friendship between the U.S. Army and France by engaging with the students and even letting them wear his dress hat while posing for pictures.
As the students prepared to leave, Poppas thanked them for everything they did, and continue to do, to keep the memory of American service and sacrifice alive.
Arlington National Cemetery’s Education Program also strives to inform and inspire students. If you enjoyed this story and would to learn more about the history of World War II—including the stories of other service members who participated in D-Day and are buried at ANC—visit https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Themes/World-War-II.
