By Kathryn Lemmon
Rural Virginia might not be the first place that comes to mind as the anniversary of D-Day approaches, but the two are connected. Among other things, a portion of the French coastline has been re-created near Bedford, Virginia. It's a fragment of beach, now legendary, designed as part of the National D-Day Memorial that honors the Allied forces. President George W. Bush dedicated the memorial on June 6, 2001.
The day I visited the memorial was sunny without a single cloud in the sky. Rolling hills in the distance framed the scene, and birds chirped their approval of the weather. Nonetheless, I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. Having recently seen an IMAX movie with a highly detailed account of the planning and implementation of D-Day, the events were fresh in my mind. I realized the odd feeling was sadness. Like all such memorials, the point is to be reminded, lest we forget.
But why Bedford? This place of remembrance serves as the national memorial for all American D-Day veterans, not just Virginians. Bedford, due east as the crow flies from Roanoke, claims a tragic statistic. A proportionally large number of Bedford men lost their lives on June 6 and in the days that followed in Operation Overlord.
Accordingly, this location seemed fitting for the memorial. A book called "The Bedford Boys" by Alex Kershaw is a chronicle of their experiences that paints the picture on a very personal level.
As a history buff I find every angle of Operation Overload remarkable. So many variables needed to merge for this mammoth undertaking to be successful, yet it happened.
The memorial consists of individual sections with components pieced together much like the operation itself. All the plaza areas are spacious, and when seen from the air, the memorial is round.
The beach-landing tableau immediately drew my attention. The scene shows soldiers struggling toward the shore (and their destiny) amid noise, chaos and destruction. You can almost feel their trepidation. The scene includes strange-shaped metal "hedgehogs" along with frightening sounds of the enemy fire hitting the water. Hedgehogs, as our guide explained, were metal beach obstacles placed to cause maximum damage to incoming landing craft.
I'm drawn to places that offer stories within stories like Russian nesting dolls, waiting to be brought into the light, and this memorial fits that description. As you wander around the complex, some of those personal stories come to light. The French statue with the damaged head is one such story told by our guide. The female standing figure has a portion of her head blown off , but rather than repair the artwork, the French decided to keep it that way on purpose as a reminder for all future generations.
The fate of one soldier's Bible is another fascinating narrative. "Bedford Boy" John B. Schenk carried his Bible as he landed with the first wave of the assault on Omaha Beach. The fragile item survived; unfortunately the young man did not. In a twist of fate, the Bible made its way back to Virginia and survives to this day. If you look closely, you can see the Bible depicted in the beach landing scene.
The statue of the soldier in full gear wearing a gold wedding ring is not to be missed. He's sculptured in midstride, pulling along a prone figure. As the story goes, a young soldier was dying and asked his buddy to take his wedding ring home to his wife. Our guide said it took 10 long years, but the ring was eventually returned to the widow. We were silent as the guide finished the account, and the odd feeling I had experienced earlier turned into a lump in my throat.
Continuing on, we followed the path around the section called the English Garden. Bronze busts of the key figures of D-Day sit on pedestals in the garden. Gen. Patton rates only a low-level ground marker. Dwight D. Eisenhower, on the other hand, gets a full, larger-than-life statue, perhaps portraying the weighty responsibility that rested on his shoulders.
Aircraft enthusiasts will appreciate the restored L-3 observation plane on display. The little plane was designed as a means of rapid communication and was easily repaired in the field. Her nickname is the Grasshopper.
The uppermost plaza is dominated by the Overlord Arch as a symbol of victory. Nearby, 12 flags fly to represent the primary countries involved.
Eisenhower prepared a statement offering encouragement to the troops, and his words are worth repeating:[edit]Script error "You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you." I hope those sentiments gave strength of purpose to the Bedford Boys and their fellow Allied forces.
WHEN YOU GO
June 6, 2015, marks the 71st anniversary of D-Day. The memorial is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of Mondays from Dec. 1 to Feb. 23. Guided tours are available throughout the day as part of admission. Allow two hours to visit all aspects of the memorial. Visitors are requested to stop at the Welcome Center first. The museum also hosts events related to World War II throughout the year. For more information, visit www.dday.org.
Kathryn Lemmon is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
View Comments