A&M President, Traveling Aggies Visit Aggie Fallen In Normandy

In July, Texas A&M University’s president, Michael K. Young, and his wife, Marti, hosted a Traveling Aggies group that visited the beaches of Normandy.

At markers for each of the 18 Aggies honored in the Normandy American Cemetery, the group placed a U.S. flag, an A&M flag and an A&M presidential challenge coin. The cemetery holds more than 9,000 Americans, most killed during the D-Day campaign in World War II.

The travelers placed all of the group's Aggie Rings atop one Aggie's cross for a moment, in remembrance and unity.

Several Traveling Aggies trips in recent years have been able to honor these Aggies similarly because of a list of Normandy's fallen Aggies that was provided to The Association of Former Students by former university archivist David Chapman ’67. The 18 Aggies' names and their locations in the cemetery are given below.

President Young wrote, "It was my first trip to that cemetery, and it truly was a life-changing experience. While at the site, I thought about how much we owe all those who serve, including these 18 young Aggies. And they were young men, most the same ages of students in our classrooms every day."

As 2019 brings the 75th anniversary of D-Day (June 6), Traveling Aggies trips to Omaha Beach and the cemetery in 2019 include an April 20-28 trip hosted by Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, dean of Texas A&M's Bush School, and a June 22-30 trip. The Association will also partner with the National World War II Museum for a March 15-25 exploration of "Victory in the Pacific" and a Sept. 2-15, 2019, trip tracing the path of "Easy Company: England to the Eagle's Nest."

Aggies interred or memorialized in the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, France:

James M. Thompson ’28
Colonel, U.S. Army Air Forces
Plot A Row 22 Grave 32

William L. Jameson ’34
First lieutenant, U.S. Army
Plot H Row 18 Grave 23

John W.J. Crow ’35
Staff sergeant, U.S. Army
Plot J Row 9 Grave 4

James E. Rountree ’37
Captain, U.S. Army
Plot F Row 19 Grave 27

Henry T. Gillespie ’38
First lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Plot C Row 22 Grave 32

Rolland J. Bowman ’40
Private, U.S. Army
Plot H Row 7 Grave 28

John L. Handby ’40
Major, U.S. Army
Plot H Row 21 Grave 9

Ralph B. Hartgraves ’41
Captain, U.S. Army
Plot D Row 9 Grave 37

John D. Ragland ’41
First lieutenant, U.S. Army
Plot G Row 11 Grave 38

Frank P. Daugherty, Jr. ’42
Second lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Plot D Row 18 Grave 42

Henry D. Jackson ’42
First lieutenant, U.S. Army
Plot F Row 9 Grave 11

Arthur M. Rider ’42
First lieutenant, U.S. Army
Plot F Row 22 Grave 38

James H. Japhet ’43
Staff sergeant, U.S. Army
Tablets of the Missing

William B. Morehouse ’43
Second lieutenant, U.S. Army
Plot F Row 27 Grave 23

Harry C. Robison ’45
Private first class, U.S. Army
Plot D Row 4 Grave 21

David V. Lamun ’46
Private, U.S. Army
Plot E Row 19 Grave 33

Herbert O. Koehler, Jr. ’47
Private first class, U.S. Army
Tablets of the Missing

Sam W. Noto, Jr. ’47
Private first class, U.S. Army
Tablets of the Missing

Traveling Aggies is a self-supporting component of The Association of Former Students that brings hundreds of Aggies, family and friends together each year. Donations to The Association keep the program running, but do not pay for trips or for the travel brochures and catalogs produced by the travel companies. Read about all of the work your donations to the Association accomplish here and make a gift at tx.ag/give.