Remembering Our Nation's POWs and MIAs

Often, we hear stories of those who made it home from war or those who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for their country. However, we do not always hear the stories of those who were captured or never found in conflict—our nation’s Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA). Nonetheless, their families grieve just like Gold Star families, but without closure. To put this into perspective, as of June 9, 2016, there are still 1,618 unaccounted for POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War according to the National League of POW/MIA families.

Personally, when I think of D-Day MIAs, my first thought goes to Staff Sgt. Raymond S. Hoback, one of our Bedford Boys. His story, as told below by his sister, Lucille, demonstrates the pain felt by MIA families:

The next day [after receiving the news of Bedford’s death on D-Day], in our childish way, my sister Rachel and I thought we might cheer our folks up by making them some ice cream.  We were over the freezer cranking away when there was another knock – another telegram.  “The War Department regrets,” the too-familiar preamble read, “to inform you that your son, Staff Sgt. Raymond Samuel Hoback is missing in action.”  Mom and Dad were overcome with grief and I along with them.  To this moment I can remember nothing else that happened that day.  Time simply stopped.
 

Raymond Hoback, D-Day MIA

Raymond was never found. Several of his company mates subsequently reported seeing him lying on the beach near water’s edge, whether wounded or dead they did not know.  What is clear is that he, along with dozens others like him, was taken by the tide into the sea.  A word now about Providence, which manifested itself in the form of a package that arrived at our house a few days later.  It was a book sent by a soldier from W. Virginia, who had landed a day after Raymond had gone ashore.  “While walking on the beach on D-Day plus one,” he wrote, “…I came upon this Bible, and as most any person would do I picked it up from the sands to keep it from being destroyed.”  It was the Bible she had given Raymond for Christmas in 1938.  It was her only tangible connection to her missing son.  She treasured it for the rest of her life, as I treasure it today.

Because they were unable to bring home Raymond, the Hobacks chose to keep Bedford in the American Cemetery at Normandy. Unfortunately, this is just one of the thousands of stories of POW/MIA families across the United States.

If you are in the area, we would love for you to join the National D-Day Memorial on Saturday, September 17 at 11 a.m. for a ceremony to honor our nation's POWs and MIAs.  The event will include a special Missing Man ceremony, wreath laying, songs by Rick Dellinger, and keynote speaker Robert O. Gray, POW, Korea. Gray enlisted in the Army in 1949 at the age of 17. He was stationed in Japan as part of the 24th Infantry Division until he was sent to Korea at the start of the war there.  He was captured by the enemy in November 1950, and spent 34 months in a POW camp. 

Gates open at 10 a.m. and admission is free until noon.  Please bring a chair as seating is limited.  Sam's Dogs will be on site with food available for purchase. Rolling Thunder Chapter 4 and Lynchburg Harley Davidson will also host a Benefit Run to the Memorial on the morning of this event.  For more information on how to participate or donate to the cause, email RTVACH4@gmail.com or click here.  

2015's POW/MIA Ceremony

Until Next Time,

Maggie

A 1940s Radio Show

What did the Bedford Boys hear on the radio the night before they shipped out for service in the regular army, service that eventually took them into the war and to Omaha Beach on D-day?

We can’t know the answer to that question, but we can surmise that it may well have been a live musical performance broadcast from the Roanoke studio of WDBJ radio. A little news, some corny humor, some advertising for sponsor Dr. Pepper, and a lot of great music would have been on the agenda.

On Saturday, April 23, the Java Brothers will recreate a live WDBJ radio broadcast from the 1940s such as departing National Guardsmen from our area may have heard. Ralph Berrier, whose grandfather and his twin brother (the Hall brothers) often performed live on WDBJ, headlines the group, and portrays the announcer, the beloved Roanoke icon “Cousin” Irv Sharp. In between songs, Berrier will read original homespun scripts extolling the medicinal value of Dr. Pepper, the sponsor of the shows in the 1940s. Check out a video of their performance below:

The Java Brother’s will perform the recreated broadcast (plus some of their more modern music) at the National D-Day Memorial in conjunction with the annual “Prelude to Invasion” event. Their performances will be at 11:30 and 2:00. Other activities include reenactors, a skit on the Bedford Boys, children’s activities, and special programs for Scout troops.

Regular admission fees to the Memorial apply, with discounts available for Boy and Girl Scout groups. For more information, call 800-351-DDAY or email education@dday.org.

Hope to see you there!

Maggie

Prelude to Invasion: Meet the USA

Hello, Friends!

 

Homage on March 23, 2016

Spring is probably my favorite time of the year—except for the seasonal allergies part. For us at the National D-Day Memorial, it means that water is back in the invasion tableau, the cherry trees are blooming, and that the first of our major educational events, Prelude to Invasion, is just around the corner.

I’m very excited for Prelude to Invasion this year. We’re focusing on how the Allies prepared for the D-Day invasion. Living historians portraying General Omar Bradley, the Polish Air Force, and the British Airborne will be on site to share about the preparations for the invasion and will be holding mission de-briefs and drills throughout the day that let you experience what it was like to be an Allied soldier, sailor, and airmen preparing for D-Day. For a local perspective on the training for the invasion, we’ll have the Bedford Museum on site portraying Bedford Boys, Roy and Ray Stevens, based on their letters from the war to the Thaxton sisters. We will also have WDBJ radio show performances throughout the day for a taste of what this area of Virginia would have listened to during the war. Last, but certainly not least, we will have WWII veterans on site to share their stories from the war.

Prelude to Invasion also serves as our annual Scout Day
where Boy and Girl Scouts can earn a Memorial patch

Prelude to Invasion will be on Saturday, April 23, 2016 from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Regular admission fees apply, but include a free activity guide for students. We’ll also have Blue Ridge BBQ Shack on site that day. For more information about this event, email education@dday.org or call 800-351-DDAY.

With Prelude to Invasion on my mind, for the next few weeks we will be featuring blog posts on the twelve nations of the Allied Expeditionary Force that landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. First up is the United States’ involvement in the invasion.

Although the United States did not officially enter World War II until December 8^th, 1941, the U.S. under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leadership provided material and financial support in the early years of the war to the Allied nations through initiatives, such as the Lend-Lease Act. In 1940, the U.S. also initiated its first peace-time draft to build-up its military. However, it was not until after the attack on Pearl Harbor that the United States started fighting in WWII beginning in the Pacific and North Africa in 1942.  

Stalin, FDR, and Churchill at the Tehran Conference

At the Tehran Conference in 1943, the major Allied leaders—Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill—met to discuss strategy regarding the rest of the war. It was there that Stalin introduced the idea of opening a new front in Europe. Within a month of the Tehran Conference, American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed to command the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force, which included Operation Overlord, the codename for the D-Day invasion. With his team of American and British generals, Eisenhower orchestrated the largest amphibious invasion in history. American forces landed on two of the five beaches, Omaha and Utah, in Normandy, France on D-Day with 2,499 Americans killed on the first day of the invasion.

While America played a large role in the D-Day invasion, it would not have been successful without the support of eleven other nations who contributed to the Allied Expeditionary Force with a shared goal of a Europe free of Nazi tyranny.

Until Next Time,

Maggie

Real Life Rosie the Riveters: Women on the Homefront in WWII

Hello Again, Friends!

Today, I want to continue celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing about Rosie the Riveters. And yes, Riveters being plural is intentional. Not only were there numerous renditions of Rosie the Riveter as seen in this fantastic video, but there were millions of real-life “Rosies” throughout the nation who answered the call to service on the Homefront.

 

Three “Rosies” posing for a picture before
work. The ladies are identified as Virdie
Gordon Reyes, Retha Maxine Warner, and
Ruth Gordon Davis. The Gordon sisters
were from Elkton, VA, but moved to
Baltimore during the war.

As the men went off to fight in World War II, there was a tremendous need for women to step up in their absence. Women, like those pictured in this photograph to the left from our archives, went to work in the factories that shifted from domestic to wartime production to supply the troops and ensure victory for the Allied nations against Nazi Germany and Japan.

In order to encourage women to fight, the U.S. government began a propaganda campaign starring “Rosie the Riveter” aimed at recruiting female workers for the munitions industry. Rosie the Riveter quickly became arguably the most iconic image of working women during the war.

Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home. Bedford, VA was no exception. Many of the female family members of the Bedford Boys worked in local factories that produced supplies for their boys. The Belding Hemingway textile mill where Verona Draper, sister of Frank Draper, Jr., and Bettie Wilkes, wife of John Wilkes, worked to make rayon thread that was used for the manufacturing of parachutes. Frank Draper’s mother worked at the Rubatex factory where they produced insulation for aircrafts and submarines and hoses for gas masks. There was also Hampton Looms that produced material for military uniforms and coats. Women in Bedford also contributed to the war effort in their free time by going to the Bedford County Library to roll bandages. On June 6^th, they rolled 9,000 bandages in addition to the 68,300 they rolled in May.

Hampton Looms today in Bedford, VA

Over the past few years as the WWII generation passes on, the importance of honoring our nation's "Rosies" has garnered national attention-- even that of the White House. These women's service and support of the war were critical in winning the war, as well as integrating women into the workforce in the years following World War II.

Until Next Time,

Maggie

The Last of the Bedford Boys: Allen Huddleston

Hello Again, Friends!

Allen Huddleston during training with the
29th Division 116th Regiment Co. A

It’s with a heavy heart that we publish this un-anticipated blog post. Yesterday, the United States lost the last of the famous Bedford Boys—the ones who valiantly stormed onto the Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach in the first wave on D-Day. Just over 40 men from Bedford participated in the D-Day invasion and unfortunately 19 of them were dead by the end of the day on June 6, 1944. This was devastating for the small town of Bedford, which is recognized as having the most men per capita killed on D-Day. Today, we honor Allen Huddleston’s valor, fidelity, and sacrifice on D-Day and want to share his story.

During World War II before the U.S. entered the war, Allen Huddleston worked as a soda jerk at Lyle’s drugstore in downtown Bedford and married his wife, Geraldine, who was a cousin of fellow Bedford Boy, Nick Gillaspie. Knowing that military service was inevitable, he decided to join the National Guard’s 29^th Division 116^th Regiment Company A since he wanted to go to war with people he knew instead of taking a chance with the draft.

Robert Key and Allen Huddleston

After training at Fort Meade for a year and a half, Company A left for England in September 1942 on the Queen Mary, which was under strict orders not to stop for anything. Because of this, she split one of her escort ships, Curacao, in half. Huddleston witnessed the event: "I was lying on my bunk when I felt a slight thud. I looked out a porthole, just in time to see half a ship sinking. We didn't even slow down." Those on the boat were shocked that the Queen Mary kept going instead of rescuing the hundreds of men who were drowning.

During their time in England, the Bedford Boys spent time camping out on the moors. Huddleston recounted how no one could stay dry and that one time they had to set up their pup tents in a driving rain and Captain Fellers kicked down those that were not perfectly aligned, even with people in them.While training for the invasion, Allen broke his ankle practicing unarmed combat strategies with Sergeant Robert Goode, also of Bedford. As a result, he missed the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

Allen Huddleston after WWII with his camera

He rejoined the Company A on August 28^th in Brest, France. He did not recognize anyone, and even found out that fellow Bedford Boy, Joe Parker, had died the day before he arrived. Another Bedford Boy, Mess Sergeant Earl Newcomb, was still with Company A, but Huddleston never saw him. Just a month later during the Aachen offensive, Huddleston was re-injured—this time with a shoulder injury from the shrapnel of a shell. He was sent home shortly afterward and arrived back in Bedford in April 1945.

As one of the few Bedford Boys to return from Europe, Allen Huddleston said he had someone

looking out for him on the day of the D-Day invasion. After the war, he and Geraldine welcomed two sons and he opened a photography shop in Bedford. He is also credited with writing the inscription on the monument dedicated to the Bedford Boys in 1954 in front of the Courthouse in downtown Bedford.

It truly is the end of an era for Bedford, and the United States. But, it is also a chilling reminder that our time is limited to honor and thank all WWII veterans while they are still with us. More than ever it is important to preserve and share the legacy of Mr. Huddleston, the Bedford Boys, and all D-Day and WWII veterans for future generations. I want to encourage you to thank the WWII veterans in your family or in your neighborhoods for the service, and to take the time to listen to their stories. What motivates people to share the legacy of our WWII veterans is not facts and statistics about WWII, but stories that make the war personal to them.

Here at the National D-Day Memorial we do this through our educational programming and by maintaining for the nation a memorial to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied forces that took part in the landing at Normandy, France on 6 June 1944. Visit our website at www.dday.org to find out more about visiting the Memorial, our educational initiatives and programming, and how to support the Memorial in telling the D-Day story today and ensure its retelling tomorrow.

Until Next Time,

Maggie and Ches

Sources

Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Town’s Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003.

“The Last of the Bedford Boys.” Combat 15.1 (Winter 2007). 

D-Day Fallen: John Schenk

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.

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 11^th. 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

Veterans Day

Hello Friends!

Here at the National D-Day Memorial we honor those who participated in and pay tribute to those who did not return from the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 in Normandy, France. While D-Day and World War II are the main focus of our mission, we also strive throughout the year to honor all who have served—past and current—in  the U.S. Armed Forces.   

Roger Neighborgall during WWII

Our annual Veterans Day ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 11^th at 11AM. We will

take time to honor all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces during this special event. The program will include special music, guest speakers, and recognition of all veterans. Admission is free 10AM – 12PM. 

 Our keynote speaker for this event is World War II Veteran, Roger Neighborgall. Neighborgall was assigned to the U.S. Army 5^th Ranger Battalion in 1944. He took part in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Combat Infantry Badge.

This year, we are also excited to have Alex Kershaw again as a special guest speaker—twice in one year, too! He recently released a new book, Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris, which is about the untold story of a brave doctor who risked everything to defy Hitler. He has also written several other books about WWII, including The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter.

Annie J. Bronson Veterans Memorial Walk in the Spring

The latest installment of veteran bricks in the Annie J. Bronson Veterans Memorial Walk, Blue Star Garden, and Gold Star Garden will also be dedicated at this ceremony. These inscribed bricks are a permanent tribute to men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States. These lasting tributes are not limited to service in World War II and can encompass any service period. The placement of each brick is not only an investment in the legacy of a loved one, but also an investment in the future of the Memorial. At a cost of $250 each, the bricks are an affordable way to give permanent veteran recognition at the National D-Day Memorial. Visit https://www.dday.org/support-remember-thier-sacrifice/buy-a-brick-for-a-veteran.html  for more information if you are interested in purchasing a brick. The next dedication of bricks will take place Memorial Day 2016 and will include orders placed now through February 1, 2016.

Special thanks to our generous sponsors for the Veterans Day ceremony, Cintas and Fostek Corporation. 

I hope to see you at the Veterans Day Ceremony if you can make it! 

Maggie

Home-School Event: April 24, 2015

Calling All Home-Schooled Students!

Want to experience World War II history through interactive stations and living history? Would you like to participate in activities geared towards you and all your friends? Then join us for the National D-Day Memorial Home-School Event on Friday, April 24, 2015, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. All age groups are welcome and fees are $4.00 per person. Children under 6 are free. Space is LIMITED, please register by April 15, tomorrow, at the very latest.

For more information or to register, please contact the National D-Day Memorial's Education Department at (540) 586-3329, ext. 114.

 

Hope to see you all there!

Take Care,

Elizabeth

Prelude to Invasion: National D-Day Memorial Event

Hello All,

I hope you all had a relaxing and beautiful Easter Weekend! Spring is finally upon us; the weather is steadily getting warmer, the vegetation is blooming, warm days are here to stay! Activity is buzzing around the Memorial now that we have moved into the spring season.

If you are in the mood for an education-packed weekend, than I suggest you make a special trip to the National D-Day Memorial on April 18, 2015, 10 AM-5 PM, for our Prelude to Invasion Event! The event is for children young and old but family and guardians are more than welcome to join in the fun!

Special Announcement from our Education Director:

 “The event is designed to showcase the preparations for the Normandy landings. Omar Bradley and a Polish Living History unit will be on display; WWII veterans will be in the education tent, and several authors will be onsite throughout the day. Several stations will be set up on the site that focuses on several aspects on WWII.”

Scouts are encouraged to attend this event and will receive a discounted admission rate, at $4.00 per scout, as well as the chance to earn a special patch. Pre-registration of Scouts is required by April 10. Family members who wish to join their scouts will be charged regular admission upon arrival.

Some notable attractions include,

·         Book signings throughout the day by…

o   Bob Vandeline, Respect: Forgotten Heroes and Korea

o   Zoe Myers, We Two: A Story of War and Love

o   Thomas Carter, Beachhead Normandy: An LCT’s Odyssey

o   Franz Beisser, A time and Place and Red Solstice

·         Jeff Bush will be in attendance with our WWII Veterans

·         Interactive Living History Stations for a firsthand look at military life during the 1940s, and

·         Dave’s Dogs will be available for lunch.

For more information or to pre-register, contact the Memorial’s Education Department at (540) 586-3329, ext. 114.

This event is generously sponsored by American National and Pro Tech Fabrications, Inc.

Hope to see you all there.

Take Care,

Elizabeth

Our D-Day Fallen: Sergeant Weldon A. Rosazza

Hello All,

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It is a time to give thanks, appreciate family, and care for those in need. The Bedford Boys spent many months in England and, for many of them, missed the holidays with their families for the first time. It was hard on all of them, not only were they not with their families, but they were practically worlds apart. They also knew there was a chance they would never see their loved ones again, but they could count on each other for support. Today I want to remember one of our D-Day Fallen, Sergeant Weldon Rosazza.

Sergeant Weldon A. Rosazza

 Weldon Rosazza was considered a buck private when he joined the National Guard in 1939 at the age of nineteen. Named after an Italian town, Rosazza was an extremely handsome man who had all the luck with the ladies. By D-Day, Rosazza had earned his Sergeant stripes. He was considered the most sophisticated of the Bedford Boys, partially due to his short time in Washington D.C. as a child and his constantly neat appearance. He and John Clifton ran around southern England winning the hearts of many English ladies.

Rosazza grave in Normandy

 Ivybridge was a particular town the GI’s favored. Almost every weekend you could find the boys in town drinking and carrying on. As time wore on and the soldiers became comfortable and disgruntled at times, testosterone was high and the entertainment low. Ivybridge was a place the soldier’s could relax and feel normal for once. 

They ate ‘good’ pub food, played darts, read the local news, listened to American jazz on the radio, and gossiped with each other and the townsfolk. It was a regular home away from home. It was also a chance for the GI’s to hear the BBC radio reports of what was happening in Europe. Every night, just before 9 pm, the town would silence, awaiting the reports through the wireless. They would hear reports from all over, from the Russian front, to the fighting in Africa, even the slow progress through Italy. By 10 pm, the bar would close and the boys hiked back to their barracks where they had some personal time to write letters or read.

British "War Brides" coming to America after the war.

The Bedford Boys were also attending many dances and entertainment at the American Red Cross’s Tidworth House, a mansion that adjoined the 29^th headquarters. There the men could meet English ladies, some for the first time, at weekly dances. Many of the women were part of the Land Army in charge of agricultural production for Britain. These women were used to wartime rations and bombings so American soldiers were the perfect companions for them. Quite a number of American’s became engaged or married to English girls they met while training. They were known as “War Brides”.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and remember your loved ones. 

Take care,

Elizabeth 

Luminary Project and D-Day Fallon

Hello All!

Veterans Day at the Memorial, 11/11/14

I hope you all have thanked numerous Veterans today! As John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” I could not agree more with JFK; he is saying that we thank our soldiers for being valiant and courageous, but sometimes forget what that truly entails. Also, we should strive to exhibit the values we hold so dear. As a whole, we all need to remember that we can always do more and put our words into action. Since the holiday season is upon us, it is a great reminder of what we can do for others; a time to show our appreciation properly. There are many ways to get involved with the Memorial and in the community; all you have to do is ask.

Veterans Day Ceremony, 11/11/14

The next event coming up is our Luminary Project, held December 12-14, 2014, 6pm to 9pm. The Luminary Project honors the 4,413 men killed on D-Day. As evening approaches, the flames of memory come alive throughout the site, from the drive leading up to the Memorial, throughout the grounds, and interwoven in the Elmon T. Gray Plaza; each blazing luminary igniting the lamp of freedom.

My first luminary experience was last year, and let me tell you, it was both outstanding and haunting. It is one of those occasions that will put the loss of D-Day into raw perspective. Each light signifying a lost soul for the ultimate sacrifice that helped us win the war for the Allied nations. It is truly a site to see for all ages. I encourage and implore you to join us throughout the weekend; you will not regret one moment here.

Luminary night at the D-Day Memorial

If you would like to get more involved; Lumaries are sold throughout the year, even up to that week, and are displayed from December 12-14. Each luminary costs $20, or six for $100, and they can be purchased in honor or memory of anyone of your choosing, D-Day veteran or not. Remember, all proceeds benefit the Memorial and business or organizations are more than welcome to purchase quantities.

In honor of the Flames of Memory, I would like to share a little bit about one of the Fallon Bedford Boys, Nick Gillaspie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

D-Day Fallon: Nick N. Gillaspie

Nick N. Gillaspie

Private First Class

Company A, 116^th IRB, 29^th Infantry Division

PFC Nick N. Gillaspie

Nick Gillaspie was another avid Baseball player among the Bedford Boys, along with Frank Draper and Elmere Wright. He grew up with four brothers and went to a one-room schoolhouse. He was known around Bedford for his impeccable manners and kindness, as well as his rook playing skills. His Rook skills came in handy on the Queen Mary’s voyage over to England since the men had a lot of down time on the ship.

Games of any kind were important to the soldiers because it was the only way to pass the time. When they were given the chance to relax, but could not go on leave, many soldiers opt for card games, gambling games, or the book of games devised by the government. Pocket guides and game books were handed out regularly to help the soldiers pass the time and learn about the cultures they would eventually encounter.

Gillaspie is another member of the Bedford Boys we do not know much about, but we do know he was on the same LCA Wallace “Snake Eyes” Carter was on. Unfortunately, what we know of that particular LCA is that everyone perished early on in the beach landings. He has never been forgotten and never will be, just like all of our Bedford Boys.

I hope to see you all soon, take care!
Elizabeth