D-Day Memorial on Brink of Financial Ruin

Back in 2001, a National D-Day Memorial was dedicated in Bedford, Virginia.  The location was chosen after Bedford lost the most men in the D-Day landings.  Now, eight years after the dedication and on the eve of the sixty-fifth anniversary of Operation Overlord, the memorial sits close to bankruptcy.  

A recent AP report details some of the many problems for the memorial.  The donations have dried up in the rough economy and its best supporters, World War Two vets, are passing away in great numbers.  That coupled with a drop off in visitors due to the great distance between the location of the memorial and major cities is leading to the memorial's troubles.  According to the president of the memorial group, the only hope may be for the location to be taken over by the park service or a college.

Although I have never been, the design of the memorial sounds amazing.  Sculptures of soldiers in a reflecting pool are shown struggling up the beach while fountain jets in the pool go off at random representing enemy fire.  

It bothers me to think that such a wonderful monument can fall on such hard times.  The group in control of the memorial is currently courting the possibility of a partnership with the World War Two Memorial in Washington or Liberty University.  On Tuesday night at the premiere of a documentary about Bedford and its men at D-Day, congressmen attending were reminded of the troubles of the memorial.  Democratic Representative Tom Perriello of Virginia is planning to introduce a piece of legislation to transfer the memorial to the National Park Service.

I can only hope that this legislation works.  It would be a shame as well as disrespectful to the memories of those lost to see such a wonderful memorial close.