oldsoldier's Blog

For sometime, now, I have wanted to go to the D Day Memorial, In Bedford, VA, but the demands of my wife's job kept us at home. This past weekend we made the trip, and I want to tell you this is a place everyone should see. The D Day Memorial is funded by private donations and entry fees ($5.00 for adults), and is a magnificent tribute to the men and women who planned and executed the Allied Invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944. We were lucky enough to go on Family Day, when more than a hundred volunteers were on hand to show cars and trucks from that era, both military and civilian, as well as clothing, weapons, and other memorabilia. But everyday you will find volunteers to guide you around the area and make the memorial come alive. We took the golf cart tour, and our guide, a Korean War veteran, really knew his history. During the tour, I felt  the comradery that I had not felt since I left the service. As I left the golf cart, he actually saluted me, and for the first time in 40 years, I returned it, and felt perfectly at ease doing so. It's a veteran's thing, a bond some might not understand, but in this setting, feelings come back to you that you thought were long forgotten. This monument pays homage to an event that changed the world, and it should be seen by all people who love freedom. I should also add that my wife loved it as well, the flowers, the statues, recreating on a small scale, the landing, and the beauty of the entire site.

All this is just a little more than two hours away in Bedford, VA. Just get on HWY 29, North, through Danville, when you get to Lynchburg, take 460 West to Bedford, and watch for the signs. When you exit onto 122, turn right at the top of the ramp, there you will find the Welcome Center, and a few yards past that, the driveway to the D Day Memorial. You can do it in a day, but why not take the weekend, you won't regret it. While at the Welcome Center, you might ask how to get to Olde Lberty Station, for an excellent meal. And in closing, I should add that we found BP regular gas for $3.82, that might help.

I hope some of you will take the trip, I really hope our old friend Roy will take his cameraman up there and give these volunteers that work so hard at the Memorial some help in getting the word out about a site that every American should see. I might add, Roy, that the British and Canadian Forces are well represented.