Col. Stephen Pedone of Florida (USAF Ret.) recently submitted to the National D-Day Memorial an account of his parents' role in the D-Day invasion. The role of the pathfinders is not as well known as the paratroopers they guided to their drop zones; the valiant...
One of the tougher parts of working at the National D-Day Memorial is saying goodbye. We all know the WWII generation is departing us rapidly, and many of our friends and supporters who wore a uniform in the war have answered their final role call....
The fire that has devastated Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has broken the hearts of the world; and we at the National D-Day Memorial share the shock and dismay. Many of our staff and volunteers have visited the majestic edifice; and, serving a mission which...
Our last blog post looked at a couple of messages from top commanders—Bernard Montgomery from Britain and Harry Crerar from Canada—to the men about to embark upon the great invasion. The idea was to inspire the men to do something completely contrary to their natural...
“Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months…” D-Day history buffs will automatically recognize these words from Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower as the Order of the Day, June...
Our blog has been a little too inactive of late; but what better time than the 75th Anniversary year to use this format to pay tribute and raise awareness! From now until "The Final Salute" on June 6, look for more posts on the history...
This President’s Day we look back on the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, America’s leader through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1932, almost three years after the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the Great Depression in the United States caused unemployment to increase...
At the National D-Day Memorial, volunteering is a rewarding experience and a great way to give thanks to our veterans while meeting people from all over the world! We would not be able to honor and preserve the lessons and legacies of D-Day and World...
At the end of 1944, Adolf Hitler took on his last offensive attempt of the war known as Operation Watch on the Rhine. Hitler ordered the German advance towards the River Meuse of the heavily forested Ardennes of Belgium into Luxembourg. Initially, he pulled thousands...
On the weekend of December 8-10, each night from 6-9 p.m., as twilight deepens and obscures the Blue Ridge, the Memorial will honor the 4,413 Allied service members killed on D-Day. Arranged throughout the Memorial, thousands of luminaries will shine in recognition of Overlord’s fallen...