D-Day Soldier Van Roosen Speaks to Students

O’Neal’s Upper School and eighth grade students were treated with a presentation on D-Day and World War II from retired Lt. Col. Donald Van Roosen on Tuesday, September 23rd in the Hannah Center Theater.


O’Neal’s Upper School and eighth grade students were treated with a presentation on D-Day and World War II from retired Lt. Col. Donald Van Roosen on Tuesday, September 23rd in the Hannah Center Theater.

Prior to his presentation, he took the time to provide items and information to O’Neal in preparing the students. His framed decorations of honor and recognitions, including his battlefield commission, were on display in the Upper School for a week prior to the talk.
 
Mr. Van Roosen began his presentation by stating, “Hopefully you’ll leave here with a sense of what history really is. Since I’m 91 years old, I won’t be with you long, as well as many others in my generation. This is a chance for you to hear first hand from someone who was there.”
 
Mr. Van Roosen left Harvard College to join the armed forces for World War II. He landed in Normandy on D-Day at Omaha Beach in 1944. Later in the campaign, he was a prisoner of war for 10 days, and his combat decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and many others.  After World War II, Mr. Van Roosen returned to Harvard College to finish up his last two years and continued to serve in the Army Reserve.
 
An expert on D-Day and the campaigns in Normandy and Northern Europe, he has lectured at West Point, Northeastern University and the Heritage Plantation. He has served as a leading expert for many trips to Normandy for National Geographic and the Smithsonian Institute.
 
To view the presentation in its entirety, click HERE.
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