Bedford, Va – Starting at 11 a.m., the National D-Day Memorial held an in-person commemoration ceremony honoring all who have served. The ceremony included patriotic music and recognition of all Veterans in attendance. There was also be a dedication of the latest installation of veterans’ bricks in the Annie J. Bronson Veterans Memorial Walk and Gold Star Brick Garden.
You can watch the ceremony here:
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Mitchell Yockelson, the keynote speaker and the author of the Paratrooper Generals, will pay special tribute to one D-Day participant of the 505th parachute infantry regiment.
The event will be live-streamed online for anyone who can’t make it or doesn’t feel comfortable coming in-person.
“We are just so excited to have our veterans back on site because that is really what this place is all about. It is a place to honor them and their service and to remember why we are free to commemorate days like Veterans Day,” said Angela Lynch, the associate director of marketing for the National D-Day Memorial.
After the ceremony, there will be a groundbreaking on a new interpretive walking trail. The groundbreaking will take place near the trailhead, located between the gift shop and pavilion huts.
“We want to offer an area where veterans can have some quite time and reflect and enjoy nature. The community can come out and use it for recreational and exercise purposes. But everything we do here has an educational component that ties back to D-Day and World War II,” said Lynch.
On Veterans Day, the memorial will grant free admission to all veterans all day and free admission to other guests up until noon.