##  World War II vets greeted by cheers, share message for the future with Normandy Students 



Staff Writer

Thu, 06/04/2026 - 16:00

The veterans heard the cheers of more than 1,000 students from the Lycee Malherbe—a local high school in Caen, France—even before the buses carrying the 27 World War II heroes pulled into the courtyard.



Marking the second full day on the ground in the Normandy region, the veterans spent a full morning with the students, sharing their experiences during the war, highlights of their lives since and messages of the importance of preserving democracy and freedom.



Reflecting on his time in Normandy, veteran Wally King said, “When you realize the sacrifice and the cost of what happened here, did we learn anything from it? It’s up to the next generation to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”



Shortly after their visit to the school, the veterans got a rockstar’s treatment at Normandy’s [Freedom Prize ceremony](https://prixliberte.normandie.fr/en) where they were brought on stage to a standing ovation by more than 4,000 students from across the region who were in attendance. Now in its 8th year, the Freedom Prize seeks to to inspire young people around the world to defend and promote freedom and pass along messages from those who fought for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Students from Dutchtown High School, Atlanta International School, Clayton County High School and Lexington, Kent. high schools (Lexington is the sister city of Deauville, France) were among those who participated in this year’s Freedom Prize selection.





Tags

[Return to Normandy 2026](/tags/return-normandy-2026)