Hello, Friends!
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| 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion |
For the past few winters, the National D-Day Memorial
hosts a Lunchbox Lecture series by staff and guest speakers that cover a range
of topics on World War II. It is one of the highlights of our slow winter
season. While I have enjoyed each of the lectures I’ve attended while at the
Memorial, I think that this February’s lecture is going to be one of the best
we’ve had. I’ve loved learning about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion and sharing their story with school groups while giving tours of the Memorial.
As a special evening lunchbox lecture and in
commemoration of Black History Month, the National D-Day Memorial will host a
special “Meet the Author” event with Linda Hervieux. Hervieux is the author of
the recently released book Forgotten: The
Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes (Harper Collins). It tells the
compelling story of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, an intriguing unit of
African-American soldiers sent in among the first wave of invaders on June 6,
1944. They were tasked with sending up a curtain of small blimps on cables,
used to deter enemy aircraft and protect the historic landings on the Normandy
coast. Heroically doing their job in the chaos of battle, they played a role
that few have ever realized—until now.
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| Linda Hervieux |
While Forgotten
is her debut book, Linda Hervieux is hardly a novice writer. She’s a respected journalist and photographer whose work has appeared in such publications as The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the New York Daily News, and Fodor's Paris. A native of Lowell,
Massachusetts, she lived for many years in Brooklyn before moving with her
husband to Paris, where they now reside.
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| Corporal William Dabney, 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion |
We are also honored to be able to host D-Day veteran William
Dabney of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion at the lecture. On June 6, 1944,
he was assigned to Omaha Beach as a Balloon Crew Chief. As he approached the
beach, his leg was hit by shrapnel, but he taped it up and kept going. Once he
realized that the barrage balloon was no longer attached, he was placed in a
position where he needed to defend himself on the beaches of Normandy. In 2009,
Dabney was awarded the Legion of Honor medal by the French government for his
service on D-Day.
This lecture will take place Monday, February 22nd,
2016 at the Bedford Welcome Center and begin at 6:30PM. Copies of Forgotten will be available to for
purchase, and Hervieux will sign books after her presentation. The event is
free and open to the public, but due to the anticipated response we ask that
attendees RSVP by calling 540-586-DDAY. Light refreshments will be served.
Special thanks to AREVA and Virginia Foundation of the
Humanities, and Roanoke Valley Sister Cities for their support of this
event.
Hope to see you there!
Maggie
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