The National D-Day Memorial

June 6, 1944, was the beginning of the end of World War II. This conflict involved dozens of nations allied against the autocracy of Hitler and others in an effort to overthrow democracy and institute instead rule by one man over millions.

The landing in Europe on June 6, 1944, was called operation Overlord. Overlord was the largest air, land, and sea operation ever undertaken. The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 service men. Many of the first young men (most not yet 20 years old) entered the surf carrying eighty pounds of equipment. They faced over 200 yards of beach before reaching the first natural feature offering any protection. Blanketed by small-arms fire and bracketed by artillery, they found themselves in hell. When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Europe had been breached and the Allied Forces were able to move inland and begin to liberate cities, towns, and nation-states from Hitler's horror.

Nearby Bedford, VA is the setting of The National D-Day Memorial. Like eleven other Virginia communities, Bedford provided a company of soldiers, activated on 3 February 1941. Some thirty Bedford soldiers were still in that company on D-Day; several more from Bedford were in other D-Day companies.

By day’s end, 19 of the company’s Bedford soldiers were dead. Two more Bedford soldiers died later in the Normandy campaign, as did yet another two assigned to other 116th Infantry companies. Bedford’s population in 1944 was about 3,200. Proportionally this community suffered the nation’s severest D-Day losses. Recognizing Bedford as emblematic of all communities, large and small, whose citizen-soldiers served on D-Day, Congress warranted the establishment of the National D-Day Memorial here.

Here are photos I took when we visited with some out-of-town cousins on October 14, 2022.

From left: my husband, cousin Chris, and cousin Bonnie at the entrance.

The entrance to the memorial. This soldier is assisting another to get upon the beach.

A statue of a soldier in the water.

Statues of soldiers making their way onto the beach.

This poor soldier did not make it.

An overview of the exhibit that shows the rush onto the beach. The water splashes and pops as if there were gunfire.

Cousin Bonnie reading about something.

This statue is quite intricate and shows soldiers climbing the rocks to get up the beach.

Another view of the above statue.

A monument to the Air Force.

The soldier in the water again. Can you see the water disturbances?

A huge wall shows the medals of honors from the Allied nations.

The backside of the opening arch.

My handsome fellow.

The names of the US soldiers who died on D-Day are on this wall.

A little closer look.

The three cousins read the story about the Bedford Boys. This statue is a monument to them.