Veterans Troop to D-Day Memorial

BEDFORD, Va. —  Thousands of veterans, along with friends and relatives of fallen soldiers, watched the unveiling Monday of a portion of the National D-Day Memorial being built in Bedford, which lost two-thirds of its soldiers in the June 1944 invasion.

“I think there are a few days in our history that should never be forgotten,” Jeannie Schulz told about 4,000 people who endured chilly, intermittent rain to witness the Memorial Day dedication of a portion of the $12-million shrine.

“Perhaps at times we have too many monuments, too many holidays and things of this kind, but D-day is not one of them. It is one of the days we should never forget.”

Schulz, widow of “Peanuts” cartoonist and World War II veteran Charles Schulz, took over as campaign chairman of the National D-Day Foundation after her husband died in February.

The memorial, now partially completed, honors the Americans killed along the coast of France in the D-day invasion of Nazi-held Europe during World War II. About 2,000 Americans, along with 3,000 British and 1,000 Canadian troops, died on the first two days of the invasion.

The D-day invasion hit this rural farming community, with a population of 3,200 in 1944, harder than most. Nineteen of its 35 soldiers died during the first 15 minutes of the invasion, four more in the following days. The community in southwest Virginia, about 25 miles east of Roanoke, had the most casualties per capita from any U.S. community.

Dedication of the completed memorial is scheduled for June 6, 2001, the 57th anniversary of the invasion. Showcased at Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony were a granite arch and a sculpture, “Death on Shore,” depicting a lone fallen soldier on the beach with a Bible falling out of his backpack.

The family of Bedford and Raymond Hoback, brothers from Bedford killed on D-day, unveiled the statue with Lt. Gov. John Hager.

City officials and dignitaries from Normandy, France, laid wreaths at the foot of the sculpture as a band softly played taps.

Two other sculptures, “Final Tribute,” showing an inverted rifle with a helmet resting on its stock, and “Across the Beach,” depicting a soldier dragging a wounded colleague, were unveiled earlier. A total of 10 sculptures are planned at the site.

Also featured at Monday’s ceremony was a black-and-white granite arch inscribed with the word “Overlord”--the Allied Forces’ code name for the Normandy landing.

Schulz and Hager cut the ribbon in front of the arch and statue to loud applause from the crowd, and flags of the 13 Allied nations were raised.

A contribution from “Saving Private Ryan” director Steven Spielberg will be used to build a theater at the memorial. It will be named for the director’s father, Arnold Spielberg, a World War II veteran.