EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Paula Perales, a teacher at Eastwood Knolls International School, and student Danity Martinez participated in the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute over the summer.

The program gave them the chance to learn about World War II, first in Washington, D.C., and then on the battlefields of France.

“We’re able to go to Washington, D.C., for almost a week and experience the rich history of, of course, our capital. And then from there, fly to France to experience the historical battlefield locations of the war,” Perales said.

The program pairs teachers and students to research a soldier killed during the D-Day invasion.

While researching in Washington, D.C., Perales and Martinez learned about a fallen soldier with a connection to El Paso.

“The first soldier that we luckily found was from El Paso, was from Smeltertown, and it was our soldier Jose Isabel Alvarado,” Perales said.

“The research that we found about his life and his background—none of his family that we’ve tried to, I guess, extensively research are alive.”

After completing their research, they traveled to Normandy, France, to visit Alvarado’s gravesite. They took a piece of El Paso with them.

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“We actually got a cross that was blessed by one of the local churches from the Lower Valley, with Smeltertown sand, that we took to his burial site as part of bringing home back to him,” Perales said.

Martinez said the experience was meaningful and one she will never forget.

“Finding the research of a soldier that was from El Paso, that died in Normandy, France, and going there, seeing the grave, was truly just honoring,” Martinez said.

Perales said she is grateful for the service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, something she hopes to pass on to her students.

“I felt at peace that I was able to say thank you to him, to be appreciative of the life that I have and the life we have, thanks to all these soldiers that gave their life and sacrificed for our freedoms that we have now,” Perales said.

Martinez said sharing the experience with her teacher made it even more special.

“I’ve always loved history, but she makes me want to understand it. She makes me want to—like, as if I was there. And these teachers, they’re one in a million, truly,” Martinez said.

Perales said the ultimate goal is to bring a piece of Alvarado back to his parents’ resting place.

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