Entrance of D Day Memorial
D Day Memorial

D Day Memorial

Memorial to Beford Boys
Memorial for Bedford Boys

The D Day Memorial in Bedford Virginia has been on our must see list for several years. We finally got around to going and were glad we did. The memorial is a reminder of the cost some paid to keep us free. And a reminder of how often the cost is paid disproportional by those in small towns.

The D Day Memorial honors all those involved in the planing and execution of Normandy invasion,operation Overlord, on D Day. The memorial is in Bedford, Virginia to honor 34 members of the Virginia National Guard from Bedford Virginia who participated in the Normandy Campaign. Nineteen of these men were killed during the first day and Four more died during the Normandy Campaign. The town suffered the greatest losses per capita of any American town during the campaign.

The tour of the memorial starts with the statue of a soldier and his rifle looking down on the the rifle and helmet of a fallen comrade. The tour then goes to the area honoring those who planned the invasion centered on a statue of General Eisenhower.

statue of General Eisenhower
Ike

The center piece of the memorial is an area meant to symbolize the invasion area with the landing craft, the men wading across the water to reach the beach, those who didn't make it, the paratroopers who climbed a cliff to reach German positions, and the gunfire they faced. It's easy to imagine braving the incoming machine gun fire to reach the beach. The statues of the fallen remind us that not everyone made it. You have to stop and reflect on what the scene means.

View from Landing Craft
From Landing Craft

Getting off Landing Craft
Off the Landing Craft

Almost to the beach
Almost made it

Statue of two on the beach
On the Beach

Statue honoring those who died

Scaling the Cliff
On the Cliff

Made it to top
Success

Soldier pulling buddy
Take care of your buddy