Governor Youngkin speaks at National D

During the 79th anniversary commemoration of D-Day at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Governor Glenn Youngkin spoke to hundreds in attendance to honor Allied troops who fought on D-Day.

D-Day refers to the invasion that took place on June 6, 1944 when American troops and their allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. The invasion, code-named 'Operation Overlord', occurred during WWII, beginning the liberation of France and other areas of Europe from Hitler's Nazi regime. During the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, 24,000 airborne troops were dropped into battle by parachute in order to close exits and overtake bridges slowing the advancement of Nazi reinforcements. Troops entering the beaches by land and sea were met with Hitler's ‘Atlantic Wall,’ 2,400 miles of bunkers, landmines, and beach obstacles (metal tripods, barbed wire, and wooden stakes) established in anticipation of a French coast invasion.

More than 4,400 identified soldiers, sailors, airmen and coastguardsmen died on D-Day, while an estimated 5,000 or more were lost at sea, in an air battle, or otherwise remained unidentified.

The National D-Day Memorial is located in Bedford in part because more soldiers from Bedford, per capita, died during the D-Day invasion than from any other area in the country. A total of 20 soldiers from Bedford - 19 serving in Company A, 116th Regiment and one from Company A - died on Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944.

"Let us honor our heroic 'Bedford Boys' who valiantly fought and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom," The Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue said. "Their selflessness and unwavering spirit serve as a timeless inspiration."

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation hosts commemorations, programs, projects and exhibitions, often located at the landmark memorial site in Bedford County. For more information about the D-Day Memorial, visit dday.org.

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