Sunday, June 8, 2008

Remembering D-Day: June 6, 1944

I'm only 37, but I had relatives that were survivors of WWII and the holocaust. Thus, I'd like to share some pictures that I took at the D-Day Memorial near Lynchburg, VA.

Two of the survivors that I know/knew (one is dead, the other still alive) are Colonel J Sydney Wolf and Arthur Seibert. Colonel Wolf died in the mid-to-late 1990's. The character in the BattleTech game, Col Jaime Wolf, might very well have been inspired by the real person. Back to reality . . .

The D-Day Memorial is actually located in Bedford County. It's about a 30 minute drive from the Candler's Mountain Road area in Lynchburg to the memorial. You can find more information at the official D-Day Memorial site.

Overlord Arch



Troops Land At The Beach




D-Day Memorial Emblem



Surveillance Plane



General Eisenhower Memorial



Wall of Fallen Soldiers and Surrounding Area



Although the memorial itself is quite impressive, the surrounding area is beautiful as well. Those who would like a challenging drive as well as some rewarding views can also drive to the Natural Bridge area from Lynchburg. There is a zoo there, beautiful scenery, and the Natural Bridge itself. For those who might not like winding roads, there's the Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg along with some cool architecture and the Langley Fountain. If you like to walk, there is a pretty lengthy walking path and bike trail in the downtown area too. Due to the lush landscape, most of the trail is well shaded yet easy to walk.

As you can see, there's a lot of history in western Virginia. There's also a lot of natural beauty. So, whether you're going there as a veteran, someone who likes history, or a nature lover, there's plenty to do.

2 Write a comment!:

Unknown said...

I followed a link from Marathon Pundit's site to see your photos. Would be interested in learning more about the Memorial. Are you going to add more text about it?

When were you there? What else did you see and learn?

Great photos! Thanks for posting.

Andrea Shea King
The Radio Patriot

Fractalman237 said...

Thank you very much for the compliment. The memorial is located about 30 minutes outside of Lynchburg in Bedford County.

Here are rough directions from southern Lynchburg to the memorial.

Hmmm . . . I wasn't planning on adding more info about it to the blog, but perhaps I should. In the meantime, you can visit their official site.

I was their in July 2007. There's a lot of history and natural beauty in and around the Lynchburg area. That's why I chose it for a vacation spot.

For a memorial, there is quite a bit to see there. There are quite a number of plaques that include the names of soldiers who lost their lives. The beach scene is pretty impressive. I managed to capture most of it, but there is more to it. There's a garden that resembles the allied expeditionary force shoulder patch behind the arch. At the end of the garden, there is a memorial for General Eisenhower and his Deputy. Also notable is the display of a WWI surveillance plane. I guess they were used in WWII as well.