Over spring break 2026, AGS took students to Paris, Vichy, and Lyon to study the French Resistance. Participant Jordana Rojany (’28) shares her reflection on the trip.
The staff ride to France was an unforgettable experience that has cemented to me how lucky I am to be at Duke; I cannot underscore enough how exceptional it was to connect to history at such an intimate level and to the array of people on this trip.
Throughout the week, I was able to get to know nearly everyone on the staff ride, people I would never have met otherwise. Our group of 41 was a mix of undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, professors, and military professionals from the counterterrorism and public policy fellowship. Whether it was hearing from Colonel Heisler what his time stationed in Germany was like to joking with Dr. Feaver about his fashion style, learning from these adults and the range of their experiences was extremely special.
We spent a week in France, from Paris and Lyon overnights to bussing around to stop sites for the day such as Vichy or the French Alps. Each location was relevant, from the hotel in which Philippe Pétain lived to the Montluc Prison where Jews and resistance fighters were held such as Jean Moulin and Marc Bloch. For me, the most emotional and important location we visited was the Mont-Valérien military base. This was where secret executions of hostages and political prisoners took place. It was impossible to ignore the ultimate sacrifice many had made for liberty and freedom.
Hearing each participant give a speech from the perspective of their role allowed me to get in their headspace and was a testament to the knowledge we each had built. My role was to portray un femme tondue, one of the thousands of French women rounded up after liberation and publicly humiliated because of suspected sexual relations with a Nazi. Also known as horizontal collaborators, these women had a range of experiences and motivations. From those who were in real romantic relationships, those doing so in exchange for protection, those forced to, to prostitutes or even housekeepers that never touched a German solider, they were all gathered once occupation had ended. Frenchmen shaved their hair, drew swastikas on their face, and some women were beaten and paraded through the streets.
The collective of presentations and excursions were a poignant representation of the different ways humans can react to catastrophe. It only takes a minority of motivated people to drive forward evil if the majority act as bystanders or “cogs in the machine.” Yet, the selflessness and courage of a few can still make a grand difference — for the French, the resistance was only about 2% of the population. And, when a brave few make the first steps forward, more will follow.
I had many important realizations from this program. For one, the end of the war and the official defeat of the Nazis was not the true, de facto end. Many actors instrumental to the havoc of the Nazis were able to avoid punishment for decades because of their connections, such as Klaus Barbie or René Bousquet. Antisemitism was still rampant, and the French were reluctant to address their role in collaboration.
Equally as thought provoking was hearing professors discuss the parallels between Vichy France and the modern-day US government. From a desire for authoritarian conservatism and the ideals of “Work, Family, Fatherland” to democratic backsliding, nationalism, and scapegoating, these descriptions of France almost a century ago ring familiar. So, though current conditions are nowhere near as bad, immersing ourselves in the past is an ever-important reminder to never be a bystander in the present.
I highly encourage anyone considering applying to a staff ride to do so. Thank you to all in AGS that made this trip possible!
