MTHS - AP United States History teacher Ms. Stefanie San Filippo has been selected to participate in the prestigious National History Day (NHD) Researching Silent Heroes series, in collaboration with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). This program requires educators to conduct in-depth research into the lives of military heroes — specifically those who served during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War — and who are buried or memorialized in American military cemeteries around the world.
As part of the Silent Heroes initiative, Ms. San Filippo will research and develop a comprehensive profile of U.S. Army Private Henry A. Dziura. Private Dziura, a member of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, was raised in Trenton, New Jersey. He tragically lost his life during the war and is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. In addition, Ms. San Filippo, with the help of MTHS media specialist Mrs.Jennifer Keneally, is conducting extensive research into Dziura’s life, as well as the pivotal role Trenton, and all of New Jersey, played in the war time production efforts of World War II.
Ms. San Filippo and Mrs. Keneally are utilizing resources such as Ancestry Classroom, historical archives, databases, newspapers and military records to build a detailed profile of life in New Jersey during the 1930s and 1940s. Their research also includes tracing the movements of the famed 101st Airborne Division from their stateside training to their involvement in the D-Day Invasion.
This opportunity is especially meaningful to Ms.San Filippo, who has a personal passion for World War II history and a special interest in Easy Company, which has been widely documented in both literature and film.
As part of the program, Ms. San Filippo and other educators in the series meet monthly with historians and research specialists to refine their research skills. By April 2025, each educator will submit their research profiles, which will be featured on NHD'sSilent Heroes website in late spring or summer 2025. These profiles will also be shared with the American Battle Monuments Commission for inclusion in their educational resources and materials.