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NORTH ATTLEBORO - Though Bill Fasulo is a retired math and science teacher, he hasn't retired from teaching.

Fasulo, 59, traveled to Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, this summer with dozens of students as a teacher leader in the People to People Student Ambassador Program.

The program provides international education opportunities for students through journeys that combine hands-on cultural experiences and behind-the-scenes access to fascinating people and places and some extraordinary outdoor adventures designed to change young lives.

The former Laura M. Warcup Distinguished Educator Award winner - Teacher of the Year in Norfolk County in 2007 - spent 32 years in the Plainville school system and another two years as a Peace Corps teacher in Liberia, West Africa. On this recent summer European adventure, Fasulo, a self-professed "photo bug" took more than 1,400 photos over the 20-day excursion through France, Italy, England and Monaco.

But not one of them could capture the power of witnessing the sands and waters that once enveloped D-day in the battle that turned World War II.

SUN CHRONICLE: Bill, why did your group want to take this trip?

BILL FASULO: As part of the People to People program, students had the opportunity to visit Normandy. We visited some of the local museums to learn about World War II and the invasion of Normandy.

We had the opportunity to visit Omaha Beach, be part of the raising of the flags of the Allies, and visit the American Cemetery there.

SC: How many people went?

FASULO: The group consisted of four teacher leaders and 42 high school students from Rhode Island and one student from Michigan. The other leaders were Monique Desmarais, Kathy Boyajian and Kate Hennessey, teachers from the Ferris School in Johnston, R.I.

SC: There is a powerful local connection to North Attleboro at Normandy. How did you find out about that?

FASULO: Just prior to the trip, I visited the veteran's office in the North Attleboro Town Hall to get additional information about the American Cemetery at Normandy. I spoke with (Veterans Agent) Joe Clougherty and he explained that one man from North Attleboro was killed during the invasion and was buried there.

Carl Sohatski was visiting relatives in North Attleboro before his deployment to the European Theater of Operations. Carl spend about three to four months here and fell in love with North Attleboro and told his relatives that after the war that he was moving here and considered North Attleboro as his new hometown. Unfortunately, Carl was killed the first day of the invasion while helping 20 men get to safety. He was awarded the Silver Star, one of the highest awards that a soldier can receive. When Joe told me the story of Carl, I wanted to honor this man by visiting his grave and placing a flag on it.

The other leaders and some of the students placed flags on the graves of soldiers from both Massachusetts and Rhode Island who were also killed on the first day of the invasion. That morning, one of the students told us that her great-grandfather was killed during the Normandy invasion and was buried there. That really gave us a more personal look at the sacrifices that these soldiers and their families made during the war.

SC: What was the itinerary of your trip? Where did you go and why?

FASULO: The trip was called the European Journey. We traveled for 20 days. While in Italy, we experienced a stroll in the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, toured the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, visited the medieval town of Assisi, the Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi, and repelled down a castle wall. Other Italian places included the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo's David in Florence, Tuscany and the Italian Riviera.

While in Monaco, we visited the church where Grace Kelly married Rainier III, prince of Monaco. The church is where they are buried. While in France, we toured Nice, Cannes, French Riviera, Lyon and had a home stay visit with a French family at Montpellier. In Paris, we toured The Palace of Versailles, the Louvre museum, and the Eiffel Tower. We traveled to Caen in Normandy and visited Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery.

After an overnight ferry voyage, we arrived in England. We explored England's royal history at the Tower of London. While in London, we talked with a member of the British Parliament and watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

While on our trip, we learned Renaissance art and architecture, World War II history, history and architecture of the Roman Empire, medieval history and intercultural studies.

SC: I can only imagine the many memorable moments, the emotions. What was the most memorable one?

FASULO: Two memorable moments come to mind. When the students visited Omaha Beach, they were in deep thought about what happened on the beach during the invasion. Some reactions were:

"Why are people frolicking on the beach that saw so many horrors of war with 8,000 men dying there? Don't they realize the suffering that occurred?"

One student making a design on the beach that said "Never Forget," "RIP," honoring the men who died there.

We were overwhelmed by emotions when we visited the cemetery, saw the many rows of crosses and read the names of the fallen soldiers and those only known to God.

SC: Did they feel the need to vent afterwards, to express themselves somehow?

FASULO: Many of the students were very quiet and reflective afterwards, thinking about what had happened that day many years ago.

SC: Were you treated well by the locals? Do they still respect America and what we did for them in World War II?

FASULO: At the ceremony of raising the flags of the Allies and playing the national anthems, I believe that all of us were deeply moved and were proud to be Americans. The French residents of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer who experienced that day were there to show their support and respect for all the Americans, British, Australians and French soldiers who died there.

Young French students were there to help raise the flags. That brought all the generations together to honor all the sacrifices that happened there. Each of us was given a vial of sand from Omaha Beach.