|
|
Dorothy Copus Brush D-Day is something Each generation, as it ages, looks back and
remembers defining moments in their lives. For my generation
it is World War II. Dates were seared into our minds. Dec. 7,
1941, when it all began at Pearl Harbor. June 6, 1944, D-Day,
when we could hope the end was near. Yesterday was the 56th anniversary
of that terrible action involving 70,000 American soldiers. In
the first 24 hours 6,600 were dead, wounded, missing or captured. World War II and the Korean conflict were
the last wars before television became a player on the fields
of battle. Even though censorship was heavy, everyone knew an
invasion had to happen. That spring I was sharing a cottage with
two other war wives. Our husbands were in special training at
Yale University, and we saw them only on weekends. One of my roommates had been a Rockette, and
she made plans for us to go into New York City to visit. Our
train left very early June 6, but we had heard on the radio that
the invasion had begun. It was my first visit to the fabled city
and that day it was not a fun city. The department store windows were draped in
black. Long lines of people stood quietly outside churches waiting
to enter and pray for loved ones. That scene was replayed across
the nation. In a small community of 3,200 families located in
the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwest Virginia the day brought
fear and uncertainty. Most of Bedford's young men had been in the
National Guard and after Pearl Harbor this local Company A became
part of the regular army. The following February the townspeople
cheered as 21 of their young men boarded the train to head for
distant army camps. By the spring of 1944, Company A, 116th Regiment,
29th Division knew they were to be part of the invasion force.
On D-Day, 19 Bedford boys were killed as they hit the beach in
the first wave. Two more were killed later that same day fighting
in the hedgerows, and later two more died during the early days
of the invasion. For those back home it was not until the first
week in July that the death telegrams started arriving. Seven
on the first day, followed by 14 more in succeeding days. In
the small town of Bedford 23 young men were lost during the invasion.
This was the highest proportion of casualties of war for any
community in the nation. On the 10th anniversary of D-Day, a memorial
stone cut from the French cliffs was unveiled. Embedded in the
stone was a plaque with the names of the 23. To veterans of the
29th Infantry Division, it was important that D-Day should not
be forgotten. They urged that a private, nonprofit group should
form the National D-Day Memorial Foundation. The town of Bedford donated nine acres of
land to be used for a permanent memorial. World War II veteran
and beloved cartoonist of "Peanuts," Charles Schulz
became the campaign chairman of the foundation. After his death
in February his widow, Jeannie, took over. Last weekend Memorial Day services drew thousands
to Bedford for the unveiling of a granite arch and the sculpture
of a fallen soldier on the beach. Two other sculptures were dedicated
earlier. By next year's formal dedication of the entire shrine
there will 10 sculptures in all and an educational center explaining
D-Day. On June 6, 2001, 57 years will have passed but as Jeannie Schultz told the crowd last week, "There are a few days in our history that should never be forgotten. D-Day is one of those days." |