D-Day

D-Day. June 6, 1944.

You will enter the Continent of Europe and…undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces. Mission statement to General Eisenhower.

The Germans had years to prepare for the coming invasion, so people knew it would be bloody , the main questions were where and when it would land. The obvious place to land a large invasion force on mainland Europe was Calais, France, where the English Channel is the most narrow. In fact, Calais was the focal point for an enormous allied diversion effort, one that confused the Germans and delayed their deploying reserves in time to defeat the real invasion. Other obvious ports, such as Le Havre and Cherbourg, France had become heavily defended German fortresses. The stage was set for the most dramatic invasion in history, the D-Day invasion on the Normandy Coast., One town, Bedford, Virginia (about the size of Keyser) lost 21 of 35 men sent into battle that day with the 29th Infantry Division. On June 6, 2001, the National D-Day Memorial was opened at Bedford, with four symmetrically placed chords dividing the memorial plaza into five sections, indicating the five beaches invaded at Normandy. Those chords came together at water's edge, signifying planning, sacrifice, and decisive action at a given moment in time. While it is important for free people to act decisively as a group, it is also important for individuals to act decisively when duty calls., Ed Kelley answered with action "above and beyond" the call of duty.