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The Remembrance Bowl
To Honor, to Commemorate, to Teach History Through Sports
Certain stores in life are meant to never be forgotten, and this is one of them…
What exactly is The Remembrance Bowl? Yes, it is a football game that will be played on Friday September 27 at CSH during Homecoming. But it is so much more than a game! The Varsity Boys Football Team vs. Island Trees will be hosting, playing and honoring a historical 1944 football game – “The Game That Never Happened,” (also known as the Champagne Bowl) because our soldiers were called to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. Last year, CSH was honored to be invited by Locust Valley and participate in the first ever state-side high school Remembrance Bowl revival game, with many French dignitaries in attendance.
This year will mark the second annual state-side high school Remembrance Bowl which is especially significant as it marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Not only are CSH student athletes participating in this game, but ALL students in grades K-12 are learning age appropriate lessons of Patriotism, and the historical background of D-Day in Normandy, France and the why there was “The Game That Never Happened.” Assemblies are being held all week to watch two significant films; The Mother of Normandy and The Sixth of June along with guest speakers who visited French, Art, English and Social Studies classes to help students understand the privilege behind why CSH is hosting this game, and the deep meaning behind it. Assemblies are also being held for grade 6 at West Side and Lloyd Harbor School.
A Brief History of the Remembrance Bowl & How It Came To Be:
Months following the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, a football game was organized by American units in the Champagne (Reims) region. Believing that victory was imminent during WWII, they organized, held tryouts, named it the “Champagne Bowl” and set it to be played on Christmas Day, 1944. The game was cancelled as the 101st Airborne was called to the Ardennes to help in what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge that occurred from December 1944 through January 1945. Hence, the Champagne Bowl became known as “The Game That Never Happened/”
When Helen Patton (granddaughter of General George Patton) became aware of “the game that never happened” in 2017, she began communicating with the 101st Airborne to plan this game at the D-Day Commemorations in 2018. Each year, on the anniversary of D-Day, the 101st Airborne and 82nd Airborne play a flag football game in memory of this game that was never played. Locust Valley has a sister city in France, Sainte-Mère-Église. This bond was formed in 1947 so that future generations will understand the cost of freedom and democracy as Sainte-Mere- Église would become the first burial sites for the victims of the Invasion on Normandy.
The Mother of Normandy:
The cemetery in the town of Saint-Mère-Église, France, became the final resting place for the many U.S. soldiers laid to rest. The Mayor’s wife, Simone Renaud, helped bridge an ocean between these fallen soldiers and their families back home in the U.S. Madame Simone Renaud witnessed the liberation of France on June 6, 1944 from a very unique vantage point – the small town of Sainte-Mère-Église – the first town liberated in the D-Day invasion and the drop point for the 82nd and 101st airborne division of the United States Army. As she saw the U.S. wounded and those killed in action pass through her town and prepare for burial, she made a simple vow that would last the rest of her life, “Never Forget.” She took it upon herself to care for the burial sites, planting flowers and organizing local efforts to maintain the gravesites of some 15,000 casualties from the invasion. She became known as the Mother of Normandy as she made daily visits and corresponded with the grieving families of American soldiers, answering every single letter that she received from overseas.
We are truly honored to be able to welcome back Helen Patton (granddaughter of General Patton) and Maurice Renaud, (son of the Mother of Normandy), members from The Patton Foundation and Operation Democracy, along with many other French dignitaries, veterans and honored guests during the week of September 23 as part of the Remembrance Bowl ceremonies. CSH was honored to host this unique opportunity to recognize these soldiers and inspire our students and community with “a call to history.” A very special debt of gratitude goes out to the CSH Remembrance Bowl Planning Committee consisting of 11 administrative staff and Board of Education members, along with the Athletic Booster Club for spearheading this remarkable experience.
For a short clip on the mother of Normandy, please click on the link below to watch.
