Mesa teen discovers great-grandfather's heroic role in D-Day
Lauren Lofgran, 13, spent weeks researching her great-grandpa and the key role he played during World War II. Lauren Lofgran, a seventh-grader at Stapley Junior High in Mesa, recently did a social studies project focusing on the pilots of World War II and wrote about the emotions they were feeling during the Normandy invasion. While she never met her great-grandfather, she said finding out his history and what he accomplished built a bond between them she will never forget. She heard about the stamp from her cousin who was also researching their relative when she and her family took a trip to London in 2019 and discovered it was an antique shop store with Harry Potter figurines. It took the worker about 15 minutes of searching but the shop had the stamp the family was in search of. They were finally able to hold the stamp, a legacy of Capt. Ryan's bravery, in their own hands, knowing just how much it meant to their family.
Published : 11 months ago by Chase Golightly in
Lauren Lofgran, 13, spent weeks researching her great-grandpa and the key role he played during World War II.
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The seventh-grader at Stapley Junior High in Mesa, recently did a social studies project focusing on the pilots of World War II and wrote about the emotions they were feeling during the Normandy invasion.
“I’m just in awe of how much how hard they worked and how scary it must have been," said Lofgran.
Not only was her great-grandfather in the sky on June 6, 1944, but he was the one who led the thousands of aircraft over enemy land.
While she never met her great-grandfather, she said finding out his history and what he accomplished built a bond between them she will never forget.
"It’s like a way of honoring them,” said Lofgran. “Anyone that’s been in the military, I am so happy for what they’ve done for our country like that just means a lot."
Her family has kept memorabilia from Ryan's time in the military. However, one piece of history that honored that fateful day which turned the tides of the war in favor of the Allies could only be found overseas.
She heard about the stamp from her cousin who was also researching their relative. When Lofgran and her family took a trip to London in 2019, she came across what she described as an antique shop store.
While the Harry Potter figurines in the window initially caught her attention, it was the possibility of what else could be inside that was the true draw of the shop.
She and her mother asked one of the workers about the stamp. Describing it to them with as much detail as they could, both thought it would be a one-in-a-million chance that they had it.
It took the worker about 15 minutes of searching but the shop had the stamp the family was in search of.
They were finally able to hold the stamp, a legacy of Capt. Ryan's bravery, in their own hands, knowing just how much it meant to their family.