Though the Town of Bedford, VA’s annual fireworks display is launched from the National D-Day Memorial grounds, the Memorial is not a public viewing location. On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the Memorial will close to the public at 5PM.
U.S. Coast Guard veterans receive complimentary admission to the Memorial. (Admission is always free for Active-duty service members.)
No Excuse Night is held annually during the national Spirit of ’45 weekend to commemorate the end of World War II. Never been to the Memorial? Haven’t been in a while? There’s no excuse not to visit during this free, extended-hours event! Docents will be stationed throughout the Memorial to share information with guests. No tickets or registration required. Rain or shine. Memorial site will be cleared in the event of a thunderstorm.
Each September the Memorial marks the official end of World War II with the Poppy Peace Garden. To pay remembrance, red poppies are placed alongside the Le Monument Aux Morts sculpture as a visual tribute to the men and women who gave their all to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. The garden also commemorates the 9/11 anniversary and the first responders who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others. The display can be viewed during daily operating hours, 10AM - 5PM. Regular admission fees apply. Poppies may be purchased in honor or memory of veterans, active service members,...
As part of our mission to educate, inform, and pay tribute, the National D-Day Memorial is pleased to debut the Distinguished Speaker Series in 2024. This occasional series presents fascinating evening lectures by leading experts on the Second World War, discussing untold aspects of history in challenging ways. The Distinguished Speakers Series appeals to the diehard WWII buff and the novice alike, always illuminating the greatest conflict in human history, which continues to shape our present in profound ways. Join us for the inaugural Distinguished Speaker Series lecture with Frank A. Blazich Jr., PhD—Curator of Military History, Division of Military...
The National D-Day Memorial and the Bedford Fire Department will remember the September 11, 2001 attacks with an annual wreath laying and brief remarks from Chief Todd Stone. Regular admission fees apply. Wreath laying will be livestreamed. https://www.youtube.com/live/wVadVT_Fth8?si=fPyX3750SOA-77S7
Pittsburgh television anchor Michelle Wright will speak on her book The Secret Diary, the true story of an American aviator’s POW experience in Europe. After his B-24 was shot down in 1944, Marvin Doyle (a pre-war resident of Roanoke, VA and a student at Virginia Tech) endured months of captivity and documented his experiences by keeping a journal on flattened cigarette packs. Wright would inherit this makeshift diary from Doyle’s widow, and collected his writings in her book, copies of which she will sign after her talk. About the speaker: Michelle Wright anchors Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 every weekday morning. A native...
U.S. Air Force veterans receive complimentary admission to the Memorial. (Admission is always free for Active-duty service members.)
Join us as we recognize prisoners of war and America's sons and daughters who remain missing with our annual wreath laying at the Memorial's POW/MIA flag, located on the east lawn (behind the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument). Regular admission fees apply for the in-person event. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vnZOmxfCjLQ
