The 10th grade U.S. History classes at Lake Orion High School got to take a break from their textbooks before going on spring break.
No, it wasn’t recess, but rather two special hours with World War II veterans.
Murray Moorhatch visited with four classes during fourth hour on April 10, and Bill Craft did the same with three classes on April 13.
History teacher Chad Swett, who helped arrange the visits, said the lessons the students learned from the sessions was ‘invaluable.?
‘I feel fortunate that we were able to get two veterans to come in,? he said.
Moorhatch served with the Easy Company, the inspiration for the Band of Brothers mini-series.
He parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, and fought in operations Overlord and Market Garden.
During a furlough, Moorhatch got married in Paris, a story sophomore Kristine Lagodna said was one of her favorites.
‘Murray received a pass to leave and attempted to hitchhike to where his girlfriend was,? she said. ‘As he was waiting for a car to arrive, another soldier stopped and asked Murray a series of questions, because, little did he know at the time, German soldiers were posing as American soldiers to spy.?
After a few days, Moorhatch eventually got to his girlfriend and they were married.
‘Right after that he was sent back to his base to fight in the Battle of the Bulge,? Lagodna said, ‘which Murray described as ‘not a very nice place.??
In combat, Moorhatch was wounded and then sent back to the states.
A few days after Moorhatch’s visit, Craft, making his fourth trip to LOHS, spoke of his time on the front line in the combat infantry.
He landed in France a few weeks after D-Day and admitted that being on the front line was a frightening experience.
‘Within two days, most of us were saying, ‘How do I get out of this outfit???
Craft shared numerous stories with the sophomores about his trek across France.
He recalled one episode when he was sent out in the snow by his captain to splice a broken wire. As he finished the job, three Germans approached him and surrendered to him.
He remembered returning to his captain with the three soldiers.
‘He said, ‘Craft, I didn’t send you out there to capture any Germans. I sent you out to splice a wire. Did you splice the wire?? and I said, ‘Yes sir, I did.??
Craft spent two months in an English hospital with shrapnel in his foot and thought he might be sent home. But it wasn’t to be.
‘I returned to duty and went into Germany,? he recalled.
Craft said that he hopes his stories show students that war is not glamorous.
‘It’s just old men sending young men into battle,? he said.
After the war, Craft returned home to Michigan, where he went back to work in the shipping and receiving business.
When he considered taking advantage of the GI Bill, Craft’s boss told him he was ‘too dumb to go to college.?
Craft said that inspired him to take on the challenge. He went to Wayne State University, and later got his Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan.
Craft became an elementary school teacher and later became a principal in Northville, where he worked for nearly 20 years, and still resides.
‘Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t do something you put you mind to,? he told the students.