logo
"Like 1,000 fireworks' nights": D-Day veteran gives talk at Millthorpe

"Like 1,000 fireworks' nights": D-Day veteran gives talk at Millthorpe

Yahoo28-03-2025

A D-Day veteran gave an "inspirational" talk to students about his experiences during World War II.
Ken Cooke, who turns 100 this year, visited Millthorpe School to speak to 240 Year 9 students.
The visit was organised after Mr Cooke's granddaughter, who works at the school, mentioned that he was in Normandy for the 80th anniversary commemorations last year.
The visit was organised after a remark by Mr Cooke's granddaughter, who works at the school (Image: Supplied)
Assistant principal and teacher Adam Baybutt was eager to invite Mr Cooke to speak to the students.
The students had recently learned about D-Day as part of their history curriculum and were chosen to hear Mr Cooke's talk.
To prepare for the talk, the students investigated other D-Day readings, including one from a diary of another D-Day veteran, WM Christie, who is the great-great-grandfather of a current Year 9 student.
To prepare for the talk, the students investigated other D-Day readings (Image: Supplied)
Mr Cooke, who was called up aged 18, shared his experiences of being sent to basic training and arriving in Southampton on June 4, 1944, realising he was about to take part in something monumental.
He landed at Gold Beach at 7.45am on June 6, 1944, and despite his young age and lack of training, he recalls a sense of excitement.
He described the scene to be "like 1,000 fireworks' nights all at once.
"I don't know why I did it, but I just rested on the side and watched it all happen."
It was only when he learned of the tragic deaths of some of his friends that the enormity and danger of the situation began to sink in.
Mr Cooke later suffered a serious shrapnel wound and returned to Britain to recover.
Mr Cooke was called up at the age of 18 (Image: Supplied)
He returned to action in Germany, where he was injured for a second time towards the end of the war.
His hour-long talk concluded to "rapturous applause" from the students, who were deeply moved by his first-hand account.
He left the students with a powerful message for the future: "I want you to promise me now that you won't let what happened to me, happen to you.
"Can you promise me that?"
Mr Baybutt said: "It is difficult to put into words just how fortunate and privileged we feel at being able to welcome Mr Cooke into our school.
"This is undoubtedly a highlight of my 17-year career at Millthorpe.
"The students were impeccable and listened to Ken's talk with interest and complete respect."
Students from other year groups who did not attend the talk were invited to come along to the main hall at the end of the school day, and more than 80 students did so.
They waited patiently to meet Mr Cooke, shake his hand, ask pertinent questions, and even have a photo taken.
After the talk, many students wrote letters of thanks to Mr Cooke.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Township to unveil new Veterans Memorial site, honor resident D-Day hero Jim ‘Pee Wee' Martin
Township to unveil new Veterans Memorial site, honor resident D-Day hero Jim ‘Pee Wee' Martin

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Township to unveil new Veterans Memorial site, honor resident D-Day hero Jim ‘Pee Wee' Martin

Sugarcreek Township will be honoring one of their own and celebrating the brave individuals who serve our country when they unveil a new Veterans Memorial in August. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The memorial, located on the corner of Pine Court and Upper Bellbrook Road, will feature flags and monuments for all the branches of the armed services and the POW/MIA veterans. Specifically, the memorial will feature a statue of Jim 'Pee Wee' Martin. Martin was a paratrooper in World War II, including on D-Day. He served in the 101st Airborne Division and was a member of the 'Screaming Eagles.' Martin lived in Sugarcreek Township from the late 1940s until he died in 2022 at the age of 101 years old. TRENDING STORIES: Solicitor doesn't have required permits, resists arrest after reports of suspicious behavior Conner Smith hits, kills 77-year-old woman walking in crosswalk, police say Invasive stinging insect that could cause death spotted in Ohio The statue of Martin will depict him in his gear on D-Day as he was jumping out of the plane into Normandy, France. According to Sugarcreek Township Administrator Barry Tiffany, the statue will stand 7 to 8 feet tall and will be positioned on top of a platform block in honor of all the veterans who served in WWII. 'The Veterans Memorial has been a vision item for the community for many years, and we have the funding now to make it a reality,' Tiffany said. The memorial has been in the works since 2022, as previously reported by News Center 7. The memorial will honor all Sugarcreek Township residents who have served in the military, past and present. 'Veterans and families can order pavers engraved with veteran information or family messages in support of our veterans,' Tiffany said. The dedication and unveiling of the statue and the official opening of the Memorial are scheduled for noon on August 16. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Today in History: James Earl Ray escapes from prison
Today in History: James Earl Ray escapes from prison

Chicago Tribune

time17 hours ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Today in History: James Earl Ray escapes from prison

Today is Tuesday, June 10, the 161st day of 2025. There are 204 days left in the year. Today in history: On June 10, 1977, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee with six others. He was recaptured three days later. Also on this date: In 1692, the first execution resulting from the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts took place as Bridget Bishop was hanged. In 1854, the U.S. Naval Academy held its first graduation ceremony. In 1940, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, formally entering Italy into World War II. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act of 1963, aimed at eliminating wage disparities based on gender. In 1967, six days of war in the Mideast involving Israel, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq ended as Israel and Syria accepted a United Nations-mediated ceasefire. In 1978, racehorse Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, won the 110th Belmont Stakes to claim the 11th Triple Crown. Alydar, ridden by Jorge Velasquez, finished a close second in each of the Triple Crown races. In 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard of Meyers, California, was abducted by Phillip and Nancy Garrido; Dugard was held by the couple for 18 years before she was found by authorities. In 2018, the rover Opportunity sent its last message from the surface of Mars. Originally expected to serve a three-month mission, Opportunity functioned for over 14 years, traveling over 28 miles across Mars and unveiling critical discoveries about the planet's geology. In 2009, James von Brunn, an 88-year-old white supremacist, opened fire in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., killing security guard Stephen T. Johns. (Von Brunn died at a North Carolina hospital in January 2010 while awaiting trial.) In 2020, protesters pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy. Today's Birthdays: Political commentator Jeff Greenfield is 82. Actor Frankie Faison is 76. Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts is 74. Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., is 72. Actor Gina Gershon is 63. Actor-model Elizabeth Hurley is 60. Comedian Bill Burr is 57. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is 53. R&B singer Faith Evans is 52. Actor Hugh Dancy is 50. Country musician Lee Brice is 46. Actor Leelee Sobieski is 42. Olympic figure skating gold medalist Tara Lipinski is 43. Model Kate Upton is 33. Former first daughter Sasha Obama is 24.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store