Ten high school students from Kingsport and Sullivan County, Tennessee, traveled to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The students were selected as winners of "The 80 D-Day Cards" Liberty Prize project, a collaborative effort between Eastman, the region of Normandy, and the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace. Their prize was an invitation to participate in a weeklong anniversary celebration with world leaders in Normandy, France. This event commemorated the D-Day landings that played a crucial role in liberating France and Europe during World War II.

Students attended D-Day events held by leaders of the French government. Eastman CEO Mark Costa and Chief Commercial Officer Brad Lich also attended. Eastman has been working closely with the Region of Normandy as part of the company’s investment in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine for its next molecular recycling facility location.

For the contest, the students wrote heartfelt tribute letters to soldiers who landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Mark Sago, an 18-year-old recent graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School, wrote about his great-grandfather who was a combat engineer during WWII.

“When I heard about The 80 D-Days Cards, I felt driven to write about him and thank him for his service,” Sago said. “I took a moment to appreciate the amount of sacrifice and all the things he put on the line to fight for people he’d never met before. He left behind his wife and unborn child at home to go fight halfway across the world in one of the bloodiest battles of WWII.”

The students met World War II veterans and heard from this year's Freedom Prize recipient and photojournalist, Motaz Azaiza. They also met other students from around the world as part of the D-Day commemorative events.

“Being able to see their perspective on history was enlightening,” Sago said. “Especially seeing how much education the German students have received about WWII was interesting. Not only do they take learning about history seriously, but they’re also able to visit historical locations like concentration camps that most American students only learn about in classrooms. Talking to these students and veterans was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The Liberty Prize competition is part of the Freedom Prize initiative, created by the Normandy region to educate young people about D-Day, freedom and human rights.

“The Freedom Prize is our long-term project for young people between 15 and 25 to think about freedom and to encourage and promote those who fight for it,” said Bertrand Deniaud, vice president of the Normandy region. “The 10 students who won the competition for the 80th anniversary of D-Day will be the ambassadors of Kingsport and Tennessee. We are honored they took part in our unique project."

Five students represented Dobyns-Bennett, four were from West Ridge High School and one was from Sullivan East High School.

“These ten students have incredible artistic and critical-thinking skills, which they showed in their postcard submissions for this project,” said Paula Bulcao, director of Eastman global public affairs. “We’re incredibly proud of how they represented themselves, Eastman and the east Tennessee region throughout the trip, and it’s inspiring to see young people so engaged in both historical and current global events."

The 80 D-Day Cards initiative reflects Eastman’s commitment to historical appreciation and its communities both in Kingsport and Normandy.