Winners revealed in Eastman D-Day letter competition

Murry Lee
·2 min read

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – The winners of an Eastman competition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion have been revealed.

On Thursday, 10 high school students from Sullivan County were recognized as the winners. The students were tasked with writing letters honoring soldiers who served at Normandy.

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Winner recognition events were held at Dobyns-Bennett and West Ridge high schools. Special guests at the events included Vice President of the Normandy Region Bertrand Deniaud and Eastman Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brad Lich.

Of the winners, five attend Dobyns-Bennett High School, four are students at West Ridge High School and one is a Sullivan East Patriot. Below is a list of the winners:

  • Natalie Carr – Sullivan East High School

  • Garrett Crowder – Dobyns-Bennett High School

  • Audrey Edwards – Dobyns-Bennett High School

  • Mark Sago – Dobyns-Bennett High School

  • Christian Schmidt – Dobyns-Bennett High School

  • Laila Venzon – Dobyns-Bennett High School

  • Daliah Hale – West Ridge High School

  • Courtney Good – West Ridge High School

  • Katelyn Shoemaker – West Ridge High School

  • Eden Vineyard – West Ridge High School

The winners and several veterans will fly Delta Air Lines to France and participate in an anniversary celebration of the invasion.

Deniaud, who is in charge of high schools and education in Normandy, told News Channel 11 the competition is vital to preserving the memory of those who helped liberate France.

“World War II veterans are passing away one by one, and the thing is that their message needs to be carried on again and again and again differently,” Deniaud said. “They brought freedom with their bags, with their guns and weapons and tanks. And now that they have created the free world and a peaceful world in Europe, in France, we need to continue their message and carry on, convey their message differently.”

Deniaud said teaching history to students is an important aspect of education, even the more gruesome parts.

“As soon as we know that something bad happened, we have to do everything so that it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “Learning history in school is very important. If you don’t know your past, you cannot build your future.”

Eastman’s D-Day Competition was part of a global education initiative known as the Freedom Prize.

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