Hello Friends!
As I am sure you have noticed, fall does not necessarily
mean that the National D-Day Memorial is not busy with events and school
groups. However, we are starting to slow down a bit and are getting excited for
one of our favorite events of the year, Flames
of Memory and Christmas in Wartime Presentation.
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| National D-Day Memorial's Flames of Memory and Christmas in Wartime Presentation |
During this event, thousands of luminaries
are arranged throughout the Memorial and shine in recognition of Overlord’s
fallen and in tribute to the ultimate sacrifice each one of them made to
relight the lamp of freedom. This event is not only beautiful, but is such a
vivid reminder of the sacrifice of the men on the beaches of Normandy. As
twilight deepens and obscures the Blue Ridge, the Memorial will honor the 4,413
men killed on D-Day the nights of December 11-13, 2015 from 6PM-9PM. Admission
is free, but donations are appreciated.
Luminaries are sold throughout the year and can be
purchased in honor of or in memory of a loved one that has served or who is
currently serving. Each luminary costs $20, or six for $100, and they can be
purchased in honor or memory of anyone who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces,
D-Day veteran or not. All proceeds benefit the Memorial and are tax-deductible.
Also, group sales are available. If you are interested in purchasing a
luminary, visit www.dday.org and click on
“GIVING” or call (540) 586-3329 for more
information.
We would also like to extend a very special thanks to the
Virginia Moose Association for supporting this worthy endeavor.
One thing we like to do each year leading up to Flames of Memory is to recognize a few
of our D-Day fallen in our blog posts. Today, I want to recognize one of our own from
Bedford.
John Burwell Schenk was born in September 1916 in
Bedford. He was a student in Business Administration at Virginia Tech and
joined the Virginia National Guard on February 3, 1941.
One of my favorite things about John was his relationship
with Ivylyn. In 1941, John was set up by a friend on a blind date with Ivylyn
Jordan that lasted late into the night. They continued to date after the war
began and eventually were married when he was on leave from Camp Blanding,
Florida. After he deployed to England to prepare for D-Day, John and Ivylyn
wrote letters to each other every day when Schenk was in England.
Just before the Normandy invasion, Ivylyn wrote a letter
to John on May 21, 1944. Below is a portion of that letter:
“Although I haven’t written
[recently] my heart has been filled with thoughts for and about you. Your
letters are so full of hope and brightness for the future. Several have come
this week written May 7, 8, 10, and 11th. They have been like
sunbeams on long winter days…”
In their letters, not only did they discuss their love
for one another, they talked about the daily events of their lives. After over
twenty months of being apart due to the war, the war did not allow them to make
it to their two year wedding anniversary.
As a part of the 29th Division, 116th Regiment, Company
A, Ssgt. John Schenk landed in the first wave of the assault on Omaha Beach
with other young soldiers from Bedford, Virginia. Their objective was to get up
to the high-water mark and off the beach. However, many did not make it. John was
one of those men who died due to heavy fire as they reached the shore.
On July 17, 1944, his parents received news from the War
Department that John was killed in action in France on June 6, 1944. Although
the news was not what Ivylyn expected, she lived her life like John would’ve
liked for her to as she carried on his memory even though she remarried. He is
buried at the American Cemetery at Normandy.
Until Next Time,
Maggie
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