Photo Friday: Honoring those who served on this historic day 70 years ago

 

As we pause to remember those who gave their lives for freedom on this day 70 years ago, I wanted to share a few images from the National D-Day Memorial, which is located in Bedford, VA, about 30 minutes to the East of Roanoke.

Here the memorial pays tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives during the D-Day invasion, particular the "Bedford Boys," who were part of the 29th Infantry Division.  The town of Bedford lost more soldiers by proportion on D-Day than any other location in the nation.  

So why am I sharing this on a Disney fan blog?  Perhaps this second image will give you a clue.

 

This is an aerial view of the National D-Day Memorial site.  Notice the rather large hidden Mickey at the heart of the memorial?  This was done quite intentionally.  That's because the password used by solders at some point leading up to the invasion was "Mickey Mouse," and so the memorial designers decided to include a tribute to Mickey in the memorial.

I should note that there is some debate as to how widely Mickey Mouse was used as a password.  It could have been used for only one meeting, or could have been used more widely than existing documentation can prove.  One thing is clear, there is a direct connection between Mickey Mouse and the D-Day invasion, no matter how large or small that connection may actually have been.

I also want to take this moment to express my personal thanks to all our men and women who have, currently are and will one day serve our nation in the armed forces.  You are true American heroes.  I also want to give thanks and remembrance to the late Herman Angell, my wife's grandfather, who bravely served on a radio ship during the D-Day invasion.  Hearing him tell the story of D-Day from the viewpoint of one who was there was fascinating and humbling.

We miss you Gramps.