National D-Day Memorial

The National D-Day Memorial is a war memorial located in Bedford, Virginia. It serves as the national memorial for American D-Day veterans. However, its scope is international in that it states, "In Tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of Allied Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944" and commends all Allied Armed Forces during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, during World War II.^[1]

The memorial, bordering the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia, is an area of over 50 acres (200,000 m²) that overlooks the town of Bedford. It officially opened on June 6, 2001, with 15,000 people present, including President George W. Bush.^[2] About 60,000 people have visited the memorial each year. Of those, more than half are from outside of Virginia.