MSU senior experiences history

Mississippi State University-Meridian history major Kayla Jordan of Sweet Water, Ala., learned that studying history is more than academics. It’s a way of life. Jordan recently joined 17 other college students from around the U.S. for a nine-day travel experience of a lifetime to the National WWII Museum’s Normandy Academy in New Orleans, and across the Atlantic to France and a tour of Normandy at Pegasus Bridge, where the first shots of the D-Day invasion were fired by British troops minutes after midnight on June 6. “War is more than battles and skirmishes,” she told the Meridian Star. “It becomes personal when you see how it affects those living in the towns and villages decimated by bombs and overrun with soldiers. But history isn’t one sided, it’s multi-faceted. One of the things I most enjoyed about this trip was how well-rounded it was. We didn’t just see and learn about the Allies but also gained some perspective from the German side.” No trip to Normandy would be complete without exploring Pointe du Hoc, a prominent position along the coast of Normandy that was a focal point of the amphibious assault by U.S. forces during the early morning hours of D-Day. The cliff top is located between Utah and Omaha beaches and sits atop overhanging cliffs up to 100 feet high. The site was meaningful to Jordan because her family believes this was the general location her great-grandfather, Noah Raymond Vick, may have traversed during the war. Vick was a TEC 4 and drove a two-and-a-half ton truck onto the beaches on June 7. Through additional research, Jordan was able to determine that her great- grandfather likely came onto Omaha Beach at the Easy Red sector, further away from the severe fighting, where the sand was more compacted and could support large vehicles. “It was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had,” Jordan said. “I felt as if (her great-grandfather) was really there with me, and I thanked him for having been there 75 years ago. He truly is my hero, and I can only hope he would be proud of me.” (Source: Meridian Star 08/16/19) Sweet Water, Ala., is about 59 miles southeast of Meridian.