KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — Ten A&M-Central Texas students study abroad in London, York, and Canterbury this spring.
- A&M-Central delegation met one of the last surviving D-Day veterans, Ken Cooke.
- D-Day refers to the day on which a military operation begins, and it is famously associated with the Normandy landings (Operation Overlord) on June 6, 1944, during World War II.
- Saw both historic stained glass and a more recent addition paying tribute to those WWII veterans.
MORE ON THE TRIP:
While touring St. Lawrence Church, the A&M-Central Texas group met 99-year-old Ken Cooke, one of the last surviving D-Day veterans. Cooke was just 18 when he landed in the first wave at Gold Beach as a conscripted private in the 7th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.
“To have make the trip all the way from Killeen, a place so full of military veterans and heroes, and see the commonalities of D-Day heroes being celebrated was an unforgettable moment for all of us, especially with that date right around the corner,” said linguistics Associate Professor Amber Dunai, Ph.D.
Inside the church, students saw centuries-old stained glass alongside a newer tribute honoring World War II veterans — the kind of powerful, place-based learning Professors Dunai and Redmon had hoped to create.
“It meant a great deal to us and to our students to see their whole perspective of history and memory and art just blossom with every stop along the way,” Dunai said. “We wanted our students to explore the connection between public memory and public space first-hand through England’s architecture and art.”
Planning for the trip began two years ago. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Allen Redmon, Ph.D., says it was built around readings, discussions, and assignments related to the places students would visit.
“Study abroad means exactly that,” said Redmon.
Professor Dunai, who specializes in medieval literature and language, said she and Redmon crafted the itinerary with historic landmarks in mind, including Canterbury Cathedral.
“There’s more than a thousand years of history in that cathedral,” she said, pointing to figures like Thomas Becket, King Edward, and Henry II. “What we hope is that visiting places like Canterbury will help students see how public space, memory, and imagery are all deeply connected.”
