By Blythe Tyrone
When Anne Shotton signed up for an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke trip to Normandy, France, she expected a journey rich in history, culture and companionship. She didn’t expect that it would bring closure to a family story that had been incomplete for over 80 years.
The trip was part of OLLI at Duke’s mission to foster lifelong learning and connection through shared exploration. This dynamic community of nearly 2,000 adults offers diverse educational programs and travel experiences that inspire curiosity and personal growth.
On September 23, with 22 of her OLLI at Duke peers gathered quietly nearby, Anne placed a small bronze rosette beside her uncle’s name – U.S. Army Private First Class Robert Shotton – on the Wall of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery. “The experience was very moving and fulfilling to bring the story full circle,” said Anne. “You’re honoring him, but you’re really honoring all these men on that wall.”
A Life Remembered
Born in 1911, Robert was Anne’s father’s youngest brother. “He was the baby of the family. He was my grandmother's favorite son,” said Anne. “[My father, aunt and uncles] were all sort of studious, and the boys liked baseball. Uncle Bob played in an amateur league. He was the happy-go-lucky, life-of-the-party kind of guy.”
Before he joined the army, Robert worked at a hardware store and was engaged to be married. When he enlisted, he joined the medical corps as an ambulance driver. Robert was 33 years old when his ship landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, or “D-Day.” His ship was first struck by artillery fire and then hit a mine. There were approximately 200 other medical corpsmen and engineers on the ship with him. Robert was initially classified as missing in action, but was declared dead in October 1944 after his identification tag was discovered among the ship’s remains.
Robert is just one of the 1,557 engraved names of the missing, but now he is one of the few officially recognized as having been killed in action and therefore found. In addition to placing a rosette by his name to indicate this – Anne noted that the vast majority of markers did not have rosettes – Anne also had the opportunity to rub sand from Omaha Beach into his name, the grains darkening each letter until it stood out sharply against the marble, a simple gesture that made his memory feel present.
“Honoring Anne’s uncle in Normandy was profoundly moving. I think I speak for the whole group when I say it was an honor to witness the ceremony,” said Rhonda Parker, Director of OLLI at Duke. “Moments like this are, for me, the ‘why’ of OLLI - creating experiences that connect people more deeply to our world and to one another.”
“Moments like this are, for me, the ‘why’ of OLLI - creating experiences that connect people more deeply to our world and to one another.”
A Moment Years in the Making
This experience has actually been in the making since 2017, when Anne was first contacted by a genealogist at the Department of Defense (DOD) POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
“They had determined that perhaps now, with DNA identification, they might be able to separate these commingled remains, and actually bury each individual,” said Anne. “I think in his case, there were, like, 16 people that are commingled. So that was the first step, was the genealogist finding me. I am really the only living relative.”
Back in 1949, Anne’s aunt wrote the DOD asking where he was buried and they were unable to provide an answer at the time, but it was eventually shared that all of the recovered remains were buried in the American cemetery in Normandy. After providing her DNA sample, in 2021 Anne was notified that the remains had been exhumed and transferred to a lab for genetic testing, but ultimately in mid 2025 she was told that they were unable to separate his remains from the others. On that call, she mentioned that she was going to Normandy, and they offered to arrange the rosette ceremony during her trip. From there, Anne alerted the trip’s organizer at Duke Travels who was able to adjust the itinerary to allow Anne and her fellow OLLI members this unique experience.
More Than a Trip: The Heart of OLLI
The destination was chosen as a direct result of the insights OLLI at Duke members shared in the March 2024 Travel Survey, and the trip was made possible thanks to a new partnership with Duke Travels. Exclusively for OLLI at Duke members, the itinerary offered an immersive experiential learning opportunity to explore and learn alongside familiar faces and friends. Travelers walked the hallowed beaches of Normandy, delved into history at the Caen Memorial Museum, and savored the art of distilling apple cider brandy. But most importantly, for the participating OLLI at Duke members, it illustrated how lifelong learning can extend far beyond the classroom, connecting history, community, and the deeply human stories that shape them both.
Watch a short video about the ceremony produced by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Learn more about OLLI at Duke and become a member at learnmore.duke.edu/olli