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Next Generation Education Program of the Best Defense Foundation
“Taking care of the ones who took care of us”

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82 years ago, Ed Sandy was just 18 years old when he came to Omaha beach during the invasion of Normandy.

He was a gunner on LCF-3 —> a British landing craft converted into a gunboat and manned by U.S. crews. Ed provided fire support during the D-Day landings. After the invasion, his mission changed. He helped recover those who made the ultimate sacrifice, carrying fallen service members back to ships waiting offshore.

Now 100 years old, for the first time since D-Day, Ed returned to the beaches where his story began.

To stand again on these shores, to walk the ground where so much history unfolded, and to reflect on a chapter of his life that he carried with him for 82 years was an incredibly powerful and emotional moment.

Thank you to @delta for making moments like this possible and @bestdefensefoundation for “Taking care of the ones who took care of us. 🇺🇸” taken in Omaha Beach, Normandy, France by @bdf_nextgen

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Special moment when 1st Lt. Wallace “Wally” N. King visited the grave of Major Henry Shurlds Jr., a fellow pilot who served in his same unit, the 513th Fighter Squadron. Major Shurlds was shot down and killed in action on Aug. 19, 1944, above the town of Verneuil-sur-Seine, northwest of Paris.

During his service, Wally flew 75 combat missions as a fighter pilot in P-51s & P-47s. It was his mission to shoot at the Germans and keep them at bay so the American transports could drop supplies and provide close air support for Allied forces during the Battle of the Bulge. In March of 1945, his squadron attacked flak positions along the Rhine River, allowing Allied paratroopers to deploy in Operation Varsity. During this operation, his wingman was wounded and taken prisoner and his squadron commander was killed in action. The only time Wally was wounded was on April 20, 1945. Wally’s war ended on May 3, 1945 when he was turned over to the American bridgehead at Magdeburg, Germany by a German medical unit.

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus taken in Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial by @bdf_nextgen

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7 days ago

Rest in peace, Prigeon Fontenot.

We are so happy we were able to return Prigeon back to Europe for the first and final time, just weeks before he passed.

PFC Prigeon Fontenot
9th Armored Division,
52nd Armored Infantry Battalion

Prigeon was born November 23, 1925 in Rayne, Louisiana, a small Cajun farming community.

He joined the Army in July 1944 and was assigned to the 52nd Armored Infantry Battalion of the 9th Armored Division, known as the Phantom Division.

He landed in France in January 1945 and served as an ammunition carrier, moving with his nine-man crew aboard a half-track through Belgium and into Germany. His unit had just helped hold the line at Bastogne before crossing the Roer River in February and seizing the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen in March 1945, one of the war’s most pivotal moments.

Prigeon, a native Cajun French speaker, had been punished for speaking French in Louisiana schools, but that same language made him invaluable overseas, where he and fellow Louisianans served as informal interpreters and liaisons with French-speaking civilians and forces throughout the campaign.

He was honorably discharged in April 1946.

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Normandy France by @bdf_nextgen

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16 days ago

This past April I had the incredible opportunity to join the Best Defense Foundation as a student in the NEXTGEN Program on a Battlefield Return Program to Vietnam with eight MACVSOG veterans. Over the course of 10 days, we ventured from as far south as Ho Chi Minh City, to Da Nang, and finally the city of Hue. At each of these cities, we were told firsthand accounts of the missions MACVSOG conducted in order to better help the South Vietnamese Army, stories of American history and influence in the regions, and most importantly, holding a memorial for the lives lost at Forward Operating Base Number 4 in August of 1968. Now that I have had the time to reflect further on this program, it is absolutely paramount that we carry these men’s stories into the future not only to preserve their history, but to learn from them and use those lessons today. taken in Vietnam by @bdf_nextgen

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17 days ago

8 years ago we started this journey of #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus

Since then we have taken 100’s of veterans back to their #battlefield, helped 100’s of veterans through our @bdfstronghold program, and connected 100’s of @bdf_nextgen students with the greatest generation. taken in San Diego, California by @bdf_nextgen

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We recently lost one of our heroic veterans, 100 year old PFC Prigeon Fontenot of Louisiana.

Prigeon was born in Rayne, Louisiana, a small Cajun farming community. He joined the Army in July 1944 and was assigned to the 52nd Armored Infantry Battalion of the 9th Armored Division, known as the Phantom Division.

He landed in France in January 1945 and served as an ammunition carrier, moving with his nine-man crew aboard a half-track through Belgium and into Germany. His unit had just helped hold the line at Bastogne before crossing the Roer River in February and seizing the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen in March 1945, one of the war’s most pivotal moments.

Prigeon, a native Cajun French speaker, had been punished for speaking French in Louisiana schools, but that same language made him invaluable overseas, where he and fellow Louisianans served as informal interpreters and liaisons with French-speaking civilians and forces throughout the campaign.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice Mr. Fontenot. We will carry on your legacy and make sure future generations know your story.

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus taken in United States of America by @bdf_nextgen

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17 days ago

Happy Independence Day and 250th birthday to the United States of America 🇺🇸

On this day, 250 years ago, The Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The United States of America was born as an independent and sovereign nation.

Ever since that day, men and women from our nation have answered the call to serve. They defend and carry forward the very freedom and liberty granted to us by our forefathers.

Happy 4th of July to all! 🇺🇸

#unitedstatesofamerica taken in United States of America by @bdf_nextgen

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21 days ago

NextGen student presenting the story of WWII American Red Cross volunteer, Elizabeth Ann Richardson. She is one of only four women buried at the Normandy American Cemetery.

Elizabeth “Liz” Richardson was born in Ohio and raised in Mishawaka, Indiana, where she developed a talent for writing and the visual arts before graduating from Milwaukee-Downer College in 1940 with a degree in Art and English. The attack on Pearl Harbor prompted her to leave her advertising career in May 1944 out of a patriotic desire to serve her country. She joined the American Red Cross and was deployed to Europe to serve in the specialized Clubmobile unit, where she and her crew braved frontline conditions across England and France. Elizabeth worked constant 12-to-14-hour shifts to distribute fresh doughnuts, hot coffee, and music to combat troops. On July 25, 1945, weeks after V-E Day, Richardson boarded a military L-4 Grasshopper aircraft en route to Paris, which tragically crashed in dense fog near Rouen, France, killing her and pilot, Sgt. William R. Miller of the Ninth Air Force. She was only 27 years old.

Thank you to @bestdefensefoundation and @usabmc for the opportunity to preserve her legacy.

@americanredcross

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus taken in Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial by @bdf_nextgen

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25 days ago

Share this heartwarming story with someone who needs a good 😊 😭 😃

In 1943, while stationed in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Joe befriended a British family that had fled France during the war. The father was serving with the Royal Air Force in North Africa, and the family eventually settled near Joe’s base.

One of the children was a 7-year-old girl named Sophie Woodhouse.

Joe often brought the family chocolates and small gifts sent by his parents back home in America. A photograph was taken of Joe and Sophie together in 1943.

After the war, they stayed in touch through letters and Christmas cards. The family eventually returned to France, and the correspondence continued for decades.

Joe told one of our team members, @maydaymalone153, he had recently written Sophie to let her know he would be returning to Normandy, he knew this was a story that deserved to continue.

Upon hearing their story, our team immediately began working with Sophie and her family to make the reunion possible. Preserving our veterans’ stories and reconnecting them with the people and places that shaped their wartime experiences is one of the most meaningful parts of our mission.

Earlier this month at the Pegasus Bridge 82nd Anniversary Commemoration in Normandy, Joe and Sophie were reunited for the first time in more than 50 years.

Later, during the ceremony, Joe shared their story and invited Sophie to join him at the podium. Then, just as he had done more than 80 years ago, Joe presented Sophie with a box of chocolates. #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Pegasus Bridge by @bdf_nextgen

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Rest in Peace, George Sarros. April 1925 - June 2026 Thank you for your service!

George was born on April 17, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. After being drafted in 1943, the government granted his request to join the Navy. He attended basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois and advanced training in Farragut, Idaho.

George was assigned to LST 515 and traveled from New Orleans along the Eastern seaboard to pick up ammunition before making the transatlantic crossing with a convoy in January, 1944. Arriving in Southampton, England the ship was unloaded and the men began training for the invasion of France. George and his shipmates participated in ‘Exercise Tiger’ which was the last training exercise with all combined forces before D-Day. During the exercise, the German Navy picked up radio transmissions and torpedoed three of the ships. The Captain of LST 515 disobeyed a direct order and turned them around to pick up survivors.

On June 6, 1944, George landed on Utah Beach at 1pm. His ship delivered ammo, men and vehicles in exchange for wounded paratroopers to be brought back to England for medical attention. During his time overseas, George and the men of LST 515 made 65 cross-channel trips without one sailor killed or wounded. He was honorably discharged on March 14, 1946
#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Normandy France by @bdf_nextgen

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WWII Navy veteran Ed Sandy standing on Omaha Beach alongside one of our NextGen students. Eighty-two years after defending this very shore, a hero passes the torch of remembrance to the next generation.

On June 6, 1944, S1c Ed Sandy was a gunner aboard LCF-3, a Landing Craft Flak, positioned close to shore off the Normandy beaches. The LCFs were converted British vessels turned over to U.S. crews for D-Day, mounting anti-aircraft guns to protect the waves of men and vessels storming toward shore. Ed was stationed at his gun with a childhood friend, both of them in the thick of the assault. In the weeks that followed, the mission of LCF-3 shifted to rescue and transport operations along the Normandy coast.

Thank you Ed for your service and sacrifice. Your legacy shall live on for decades to come.

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus
#wwii #omahabeach #normandy

@delta
@lifeatdelta taken in Omaha Beach, Normandy, France by @bdf_nextgen

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It’s so special to be able to connect the greatest generation with the next generation. #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Normandy France by @bdf_nextgen

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