“I”s on the World: Honoring Fallen Americans

Oh, the places we go … University of Illinois alumni are globetrotters who travel near and far, but never forget their Alma Mater!

Jay Stortzum, Winnie Stortzum and Cindy Mark pose in front of white cross grave markers on Normandy, France. Illini visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. (Image courtesy of Jay Stortzum)
Oh, the places we go … University of Illinois alumni are globetrotters who travel near and far, but never forget their Alma Mater!

During a Seine River cruise in August 2022, Jay Stortzum, EDM ’71, his wife, Winnie (Berni) Stortzum, MA ’69 LAS, and her sister, Cindy (Berni) Mark, ’79 UIC, visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

The cemetery honors American troops who died in Europe during World War II. Located on the site of the former temporary battlefield cemetery of Saint-Laurent, the 172 acres contain 9,388 burials. Colleville-sur-Mer overlooks Omaha Beach, one of the landing sites of the Normandy Invasion, and the English Channel. The group witnessed a wreath being placed to honor those buried in the cemetery.

For more photos of alumni around the world, check out our Flickr album. Send pictures of yourself clad in orange and blue to IllinoisAlumni@uillinois.edu. You also can post to www.Facebook.com/IllinoisAlumni and twitter.com/uiaa using hashtag #IlliniWorldwide.

Alumni Stories