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D-Day was one of the most important days of World War II in Europe. The defeat of Nazi Germany depended upon the Allies establishing a beachhead on the coast of France where they could land troops, tanks, artillery, and the massive amount of supplies needed to liberate Europe. A successful landing in Normandy was anything but guaranteed, and failure would have resulted in even more casualties and a major setback to the Allied war effort.
We recently visited the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, and gained a deeper appreciation for what took place on that historic day and what real bravery looks like. The Memorial’s location is especially significant. Bedford was chosen because it suffered the highest per-capita loss of American soldiers on D-Day. Of the 34 Bedford men serving in Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division of the Virginia National Guard, 19 were killed on June 6, 1944, and three more died in the following days. At the time, Bedford’s population was only about 3,200.
The Plan
The Allies carefully selected Normandy for the invasion because the Germans expected an attack at Calais, the narrowest point of the English Channel. To reinforce that belief, the Allies created an elaborate deception campaign involving fake armies, fake tanks, and false radio transmissions under the command of General George Patton. While German forces concentrated around Calais, the real invasion force crossed the Channel toward Normandy.
The night before the invasion, Allied paratroopers landed behind enemy lines to seize or destroy key bridges and disrupt German reinforcements. Meanwhile, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, faced one of the most consequential decisions in military history. He needed a narrow window of favorable weather, moonlight, and visibility to launch the invasion. Originally scheduled for June 5, the operation was postponed one day until June 6, 1944.
Map of the invasion area and statue of General Eisenhower at the National D-Day Memorial:
The Bedford Boys
Among the soldiers preparing to land were the Bedford farm boys led by Captain Taylor Fellers. In June 1944, the 29th Division, 15,000 strong, received orders to assault Omaha Beach. Company A landed at approximately 6:05 a.m. at a section of the beach code-named Dog Green. From fortified positions atop the cliffs, German soldiers unleashed devastating machine-gun and mortar fire.
Captain Fellers and 18 other Bedford soldiers were killed within the first fifteen minutes of the landing. Three more would die in the days that followed.
Nearly six weeks later, on July 17, 1944, Elizabeth Teass, the telegraph operator at Green’s Drug Store, received the casualty reports and delivered telegrams throughout Bedford, bringing heartbreaking news to family after family. The grief touched nearly every resident of the small town.
Today, photographs of the Bedford soldiers who died on D-Day are displayed on lampposts throughout Bedford as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice.
Landing at Omaha Beach
The soldiers crossed the English Channel in landing craft through rough seas with swells reaching six feet. Carrying between 80 and 100 pounds of equipment, they had no place to sit during the crossing. By the time the ramps dropped and they entered the water, many were exhausted, seasick, frightened, and immediately under fire.
Omaha Beach was heavily defended with bunkers, artillery positions, machine-gun nests, and obstacles covering the shoreline. The Americans had little protection as they crossed the beach. Allied artillery and aircraft eventually helped suppress German positions, but the cost was staggering. Approximately 2,500 Americans were killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day alone.
The Climb to Victory
The battle did not end at the water’s edge. Above Omaha Beach stood bluffs more than one hundred feet high. Under constant enemy fire, American soldiers climbed these steep heights to eliminate German artillery positions threatening the invasion.
The mission was extraordinarily dangerous, yet it succeeded. By securing the heights and neutralizing German defenses, Allied troops ensured that reinforcements and supplies could continue to flow onto the beaches.
Operation Overlord
Americans and their Allied partners paid an enormous price to secure the beachhead, destroy German defenses, and begin the advance across France. At the Memorial stands a symbolic representation of the Arc de Triomphe called Overlord, named for Operation Overlord, the code name for the D-Day invasion.
Following the liberation of Paris, Allied forces continued their advance eastward while Soviet forces pushed westward. Together they crushed Nazi Germany from both directions, ultimately bringing the war in Europe to an end.
Without the extraordinary sacrifice of Allied soldiers on D-Day, a foothold in France may never have been established. The liberation of Western Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany would have been far more difficult, if not impossible.
Never Forget
It is important to honor the brave men who fought and died on June 6, 1944, and throughout World War II. Their courage secured freedom for millions and helped preserve democratic institutions around the world. We must never forget the price American soldiers have paid throughout our nation’s history to defend liberty and protect future generations.
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford stands as a lasting tribute to that sacrifice. Remarkably, it is funded entirely through private donations, gifts, and admission fees. No federal or state funds support this historic memorial. It remains a testament not only to the heroes of D-Day, but also to the enduring commitment of Americans to remember their service and sacrifice.
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