Commemorating Memorial Day
Stinky is extra excited for today’s adventure. He and Periwinkle will be commemorating Memorial Day, which was officially celebrated yesterday. He has selected a special place for them to visit, which is located only about 30 miles from Stinky’s home. When the teleportation tunnel begins to vibrate, he leaps in front of the opening and catches Periwinkle as she tumbles out with the usual whoosh. After several minutes of whisker kissing and paw hugging, Stinky leads Periwinkle back into the tunnel for a quick trip to their destination.
The National D-Day Memorial – Bedford, Virginia
From the D-Day Memorial web-site: D-Day veteran, John Robert “Bob” Slaughter and some like-minded veterans and supporters formed a committee in 1989 that would later become the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, with the goal of creating a lasting monument to D-Day somewhere in the United States.
Note: Periwinkle and Stinky will be showing mostly photos today, as the amount of information to share is overwhelming. Almost every vertical surface at the Memorial is covered with bronze plaques detailing participants and aspects of D-Day and World War II. The link to The National D-Day Memorial site will be shared at the end of the adventure.
“Stinky, this is a beautiful locale and the purrfect spot to remember those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom during World War II.”
“Since, we have already visited Normandy and Omaha Beach, I thought this would be another interesting and appropriate locale for today’s adventure. This year is the silver (25 year) anniversary of the opening of the Memorial. D-Day occurred on June 6, 1944. Sources vary, but The V Corps History sets D-Day losses for members of the U.S. military at 2,374. The British Normandy Memorial records 22,540 individuals who died while taking part in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, including British personnel and those serving in British units from over 30 countries.”
“This place is huge. Where shall we begin?” asks Periwinkle.
“You are right Periwinkle. The site is very large. The Memorial itself covers 50-plus acres and the surrounding grounds add another 38 acres.”
“Yikes, I am not sure my paws can manage that much walking.”
“Don’t worry about it, Periwinkle. We cannot possibly see it all today. We will visit as much as we are able and give our readers the highlights. As for where to start, I think we should start with the Bedford Boys, as they are the reason the D-Day Memorial is located here.”
The Bedford Boys
“Some communities suffered a disproportionately high number of casualties during D-Day. Thirty-four Virginia National Guard soldiers participated in D-Day from Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, based in the town of Bedford before the war. Company A was nearly obliterated within hours of landing. Nineteen of the 34 men were killed during that first day. Four additional soldiers died during the remainder of the Normandy campaign, two of them from other 116th companies. This is the highest known per capita D-Day loss of U.S. soldiers,” Stinky tells Periwinkle.
“That is very sad, Stinky.”
(The plaques below are the ones on the statue in the above photo.)
Periwinkle, let’s head over to Estes Plaza next.”
Robey W. Estes Sr. Plaza
According to The National D-Day brochure, “Estes Plaza celebrates the success of the Normandy landing and the International effort that made it possible while recognizing the operation’s human toll.”
The arch at the center of the plaza rises 44 1/2 feet representing the occurrence of D-Day on the sixth day of the sixth month in 1944. “Overlord” is inscribed on the facade near the top of the arch. It is the official name of the operation, now simply referred to as D-Day. The alternating stripes at the top represent the stripes that made Allied aircraft identifiable.
Stinky informs Periwinkle that located in the center of the plaza beneath the arch is the official National D-Day Memorial Seal. It is printed in Latin. The English translation is “Remembering their valor, fidelity, and sacrifice.” Several other significant things are evident in Estes Plaza as well.
The tabbies cannot include everything here, so they decide to head over to Gray Plaza.
Gray Plaza
At the center of the Monument is Gray Plaza. The floor of the Plaza is divided into five sections representing the five D-Day landing beaches: Omaha, Gold, Juno, Utah and Sword. The centerpiece represents soldiers arriving on the beach with a “Higgins Boat” representing the various landing craft used to transport soldiers to the beach.
Stinky tells Periwinkle, “One of the things my mom’s dad did during the war was to pilot landing craft. He, however, did not serve in France.”
Periwinkle and Stinky discover the sculptures are entitled, Through the Surf, Death on Shore and Across the Beach.
An additional sculpture in Gray Plaza is entitled Scaling the Wall.
All of these statues represent troops in a variety of battle poses. They honor the valor, fidelity and sacrifice demonstrated during Operation Overlord.
Surrounding the plaza are two semi-circular walls. The one pictured below lists the names of the U.S. service members killed on D-Day. An identical wall lists the names of Allied Service Members. In total, the two walls contain 4,414 names of the members of the Allied Expeditionary Force killed on D-Day.
“Stinky, I am getting pretty tired. Do you think we could rest for a bit?”
“Excellent idea. There are some benches near the area we will visit next.”
“Thanks, Stinky. This is very nice and just what I needed. It is too bad snacks and picnicking are prohibited on the grounds.”
“There are designated areas for picnics, and we can pick up something at the Snack Bar before we head home,” replies Stinky.
“Excellent!”
The tabbies rest a while before heading on to Reynolds Garden.
Richard S. Reynolds Sr. Garden
The English-style garden represents the connection between the U.S. and England, where the planning and preparations for the Invasion of Normandy took place.
At the far end of the garden stands an English Folly with a statue of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the Supreme Commander for Operation Overlord.
Stinky points out that the ceiling of the folly is a tile mosaic depicting a map of the plan for the upcoming invasion.
The Garden leading up to the folly is surrounded by busts of Eisenhower’s principal subordinates.
“Periwinkle, we have shared only a tiny bit of what is here, so I think we should stop at one additional spot.”
“As much as I have enjoyed this, I’m pooped,” replies Periwinkle. “Just one more stop sounds good.”
Stinky giggles but admits he feels exactly the same.
Gold Star Families Memorial Monument
The monument to Gold Star Families was added in 2017. It features a missing man (to the left of the tabbies), which represents the absence felt by survivors.
You can find out more information about the Gold Star monuments at the Woody Williams Foundation website by clicking the link.
“So, Periwinkle, what did you think?” asks Stinky
“This has been amazing. I think we could spend a week here and not see everything. I sure hope our readers enjoy this adventure.”
“Me too! Now let’s find some snacks.”
Periwinkle and Stinky head off to find some refreshments before heading back to Stinky’s house.
The End
Stinky and Periwinkle strongly suggest you visit The National D-Day Memorial website, especially the “Learn” section.
Note: The D-Day Memorial was and is not funded by the federal or Virginia state government and exists through and relies on donations to operate.
Periwinkle and Stinky will be participating in the Happy Tuesday blog hop at Comedy Plus. Should you like to do the same, click on the Happy badge.
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