June 6, 1944 is a significant day in American history; the day that the Normandy invasion began, leading to the defeat of Nazi Germany. I was seven years old at the time and blithely ignorant of it.
Though it occurred 67 years ago, I am sure it is regarded as “ancient history” to the current generation in our nation’s public schools. In point of fact, the American Civil War had ended just 72 years before I was born, easily the lifetime of a man born at the end of that war or even one who had served in it.
June 6, 1944 marks D-Day and is the subject of many books and films, but many wars were being fought on the same day in different years.
In 1813, U.S. forces suffered a defeat by the British at the Battle of Stoney Creek in what is now called the War of 1812.
In 1862, during the Civil War, the Battle of Memphis was fought and the Union captured the city.
In 1918, during World War One, it marks the day the Battle of Belleau Wood resulted in the worst single day’s casualties for the U.S. Marine Corps.
In 1942, during World War Two, the Battle of Midway took place, turning the tide of war against the Japanese as U.S. dive bombers sunk a cruiser and four carriers in the Pacific theatre.
Like every single day of the year, a litany of battles and wars fills the history books and on any single day—like June 6, 1944—the lives of people and nations are changed forever in the ancient battle between good and evil.
It is understandable that children should be ignorant of history until they have been taught its highlights in school, but what are they being taught these days?
Most history books represent a national curriculum because what they include is determined by statewide purchases in Texas, California, and Florida. They account for thirty percent of the K-12 market.
In 2000, at the beginning of the decade, a study by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation involving 1,000 teenagers nationwide found that:
22% could not name the country from which the United States declared its independence!
17% did not know there were 13 original colonies.
15% did not know the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
24% did not know who fought in the Civil War and 13% thought it was between the U.S. and Great Britain.
19% could not identify the three branches of the U.S. government.
31% did not know who wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.”