Sophomore Kara Spencer found ancestors while researching D-Day for her Harding University in England coursework. S ophomore Kara Spencer did not expect to learn her own family history from a class assignment. While studying abroad with the Harding University in England (HUE) program, students in speech class were tasked with finding a personal connection to World War II before visiting Normandy, France, the site of the D-Day landings in 1944. Through the assignment, Spencer discovered she had three great-great uncles who fought in the war. Dr. Jack Shock, distinguished professor of communication, said the faculty wanted to find a way for students on the trip to connect with a soldier in a meaningful way and reflect on their service. Spencer said the person she learned most about was her great-great uncle, Ian MacLennan, who was an Ace in the Royal Canadian Air Force and also turned out to be a war hero. Spencer said MacLennan was a Spitfire pilot on loan to the Royal Air Force and, at one point, was the only defense against the German and Italian forces when they tried to overwhelm the island of Malta. On June 7, 1944, the Germans captured and took MacLennan to Stalag Luft III, a prison camp near Berlin, after he crash-landed. A series of events led MacLennan to escape and hitchhike to Paris, and he eventually arrived in London on the day the war ended. "It was very impactful to me, and it made me closer with my grandparents and made World War II more personal to me." "It was very impactful to me, and it made me closer with my grandparents and made World War II more personal to me," Spencer said. The assignment affected the students in ways beyond a grade. Sophomore Sarah Johnson said she was not in this particular class, but the assignment compelled her to research her own family. "Since many of my friends were finding out about their family connections, that made me curious about my family," Johnson said. "I knew my great grandfather had been there in Normandy, and I knew he got a Purple Heart medal, but I didn't know the whole story." Shock explained the significance and weight the assignment also held for him. "I am the son of a World War II veteran, and I find great comfort knowing that my students represent the next generation of Americans who now know more about the sacrifices made by our brave soldiers," Shock said. Both Shock and Spencer said they benefited from this assignment, and it was a way of gaining more knowledge and empathy toward the people who had gone before them and influenced their lives. story by Madison Scott international 39
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