Normandy official, veterans help RMA bring history to life
For students at Rocky Mount Academy, Veterans Day was more than a lesson from a history book. On Wednesday, it was an opportunity to shake the hands of men and women who wore the nation’s uniform, hear their stories and meet a visitor from Normandy, France, whose life’s work has been dedicated to ensuring the sacrifice of an American soldier from Rocky Mount is never forgotten. Veterans lined the campus roadway Wednesday morning as students and families welcomed them to the academy’s annual Veterans Day celebration. The parade and school being in session on the federal holiday is part of a long and proud tradition for the private school, staff and students. And the celebration was a campuswide event that incorporated the participation of the entire school. The program honored veterans from every branch of military service while emphasizing the values of duty, sacrifice and citizenship that educators hope students will carry into their own lives. “We teach history in our classrooms,” Head of School Beth Covolo told attendees. “But you, our veterans, lived it.” The ceremony’s special guest was Jean-Vincent du Lac de Fugeres, a Normandy native and elected official there whose connection to eastern North Carolina stretches back
