The Bedford Boys

Not far from Lynchburg and home to some of our contributors is Bedford Virginia, home of the D Day Memorial.

From the Bedford Boy's Story
In 1944, other men from Company A had been part of another war, making up a small part of the Allied forces that stormed Omaha beach in Normandy, France. Of 35 Bedford soldiers who went ashore during the first wave, 19 died during the first 15 minutes of the invasion, and two more died later that day. For a city that had a population of only 3,200, it was a shocking loss, and considered by some historians to be the greatest per capita D-Day loss for any American community.

They willing sacrificed their lives so others could be freed from Nazi oppression, and enjoy the liberty they have today.


From Publishers Weekly (The book the "Bedford Boys" can be purchased here also)


Initially, 103 of them left the small town of Bedford, Va.-now the site of the national D-Day memorial-when the local National Guard was called up in 1940; 34 were still with the company on D-Day. Of these, 19 died in a matter of minutes and three more perished in the Normandy campaign. Men lost ranged from the company commander, Captain Taylor N. Fellers, from a wealthy Bedford family, to Frank Draper Jr., a fine athlete and soldier from the wrong side of the tracks. Long-time National Guardsman John Wilkes died as the company's top sergeant, while Earl Parker left behind a daughter he never saw. Both Holback brothers and Ray Stevens died, while Ray's twin Roy Stevens was one of the handful of survivors.”


photo by bob