World War II Activity #2:

Bringing The War Home

Developed by the Outagamie County Historical Society with funding from Cooperative Education Service Agency 6, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and the U.S. Department of Education. © 2006 OCHS.

Goal:  Students will gain insight into the strong emotional responses to warfare and combat.

Objectives:

1)  Students will analyze a personal reminiscence from a World War II veteran.

2)  Students will record their observations about the sensory experiences Roland Vogt describes.

3)  Students will be able to list three dangers experienced by Vogt at Omaha Beach.

4)  Students will consider and verbalize what their emotions might be in a similar situation.

5)  Students will write a Haiku poem that expresses the emotions of combat experience.

Roland Vogt wrote an inscription to his son Jeffry at the beginning of the book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan (1959).  Read the inscription first to get a general sense of the content and a second time to focus on details.  This inscription describes Roland Vogt’s experience on D-Day, June 6, 1944, when the Allied troops crossed the English Channel and invaded German-controlled France through Normandy.  Vogt’s unit landed at Omaha Beach, where there were German troops waiting on cliffs to shoot down on them.

1)  Make a list of the sights, sounds, smells, and touch sensations that Vogt describes.

Sights

Sounds

Smells

Touch Sensations

2)  List three dangers that Roland Vogt faced as he charged toward Omaha Beach.

3)  How did Vogt’s body react at first to the ordeal?  What happened after that?

4)  Which of the things Roland Vogt describes do you think would have scared you the most?  Why?

5)  Many war veterans choose not to talk about their combat experiences.  Why do you think Roland Vogt wrote this inscription to his son and shared his memories?

6)  Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry that is three lines long.  The theme of Haiku poetry is often nature, but the important aspect of Haiku is that it connects ideas and expresses emotion.  The first line of the poem has five syllables, the second seven syllables, and the third five syllables. 

Here is an example:

Sweet cherry blossom

Thunder in the darkened sky

Petals on the breeze

Write a Haiku about Vogt’s landing on Omaha Beach.  Remember to count your syllables!  Try to express the emotion of his experience.  Share your Haiku with your classmates and talk about what combat must have been like and how it would make you feel.

This activity uses the primary source document:

Inscription by Roland Vogt in a book he gave to his son Jeffery.

Click here for a printable worksheet for this activity (PDF file)
Click here for a printable worksheet for this activity (PDF file)