Shortly after his 20th birthday in June 1944, Ash Rothlein found himself on Omaha Beach fighting alongside the 187th Advanced Army Ordinance Depot Company in the Battle of Normandy. That day, Rothlein and his fellow soldiers joined the United States military in the final struggle to liberate France from Nazi occupation and later free Western Europe from Hitler’s reign.
The French government recognized Rothlein’s bravery by awarding him its highest honor, the National Order of the Legion of Honor. Rothlein later gifted his medal to the National D-Day Memorial in tribute to all those who did not return from the war.
When peace came, Rothlein graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in engineering. He worked as a general contractor on projects ranging from room additions to nuclear reactors. He fell in love with and married Liz Christman, a professor and associate dean at the University’s School of Education and Human Development.
Together, they established the ROTC Global Scholars Fund at the University, which sponsors trips for junior Army ROTC cadets to Normandy, France, to honor the sacrifice of those who fought and died in the Battle of Normandy and to better understand the largest amphibious invasion in history.
Earlier this year, the University of Miami honored the couple’s legacy and final gift with a reception and a plaque in the ROTC building.
At the ceremony, ROTC cadets and sergeants thanked representatives of the Rothlein estate and shared their excitement for their upcoming trip to Normandy.
Members of University faculty and leadership—including Interim Provost Guillermo Prado, Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Maria Galli Stampino, and Josh Friedman, senior vice president of development and alumni relations—also spoke to the impact of the Rothleins’ gift on future generations of soldiers.
Before he passed away in 2022, Rothlein sat down with Witness to War—a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the oral histories of combat veterans—to share the inspiration behind his personal campaign to keep the memory of his fallen comrades alive.
“A few years ago, I took a writing course. It was a small class with a teacher and just seven women. One of the women, who was about 70, said: ‘My father was in the Battle of Normandy, and he never told me about the war—ever, anything. Would you mind telling us about it?’” Rothlein recalled. “That made me want to do things on a personal level with veterans and veteran organizations. That’s going to be my legacy.”
In May, the first ROTC cadets visited Normandy’s Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, Utah Beach, Falaise Pocket, and Montormel Memorial. At each location, they held a moment of silence to remember those who gave their life to protect the freedom of all.
Stampino, advisor to the program, said: “Seeing the ground on which so many servicemen, to quote President Abraham Lincoln, ‘gave the last full measure of devotion’ is an unparalleled, life-changing experience for anybody, and particularly for young men and women preparing to lead and serve their country.”
She continued: “On this trip, our cadets have learned more about history, to be sure, but also about their place in the world and about how the United States has made a mark on it.”
In 2017, Rothlein returned to the beaches of Normandy for the first time since active duty. He retraced his original path to the top of the bluff he had taken 73 years previously.
“I have never forgotten those brave soldiers who died so that I could march safely up that bluff. That memory is seared into my head. It became the defining moment of my life’s path and purpose,” Rothlein said. “It mapped the challenges and opportunities I chose, and still seek, to carry out meaningful service to my country and to humanity. I hope that my life’s endeavors have adequately fulfilled that promise.”
He added: “I happened to be in Normandy, but every soldier I’ve ever met from any war is worthy of great care and consideration for their service.”
