The New “D+80” Exhibit on 80th Anniversary of World War II D-Day Landings
The Virginia War Memorial Opens a New Exhibit On 80th Anniversary of World War II D-Day Landings
D+80: Virginians in the Normandy Invasion Tells the Stories of Virginians Who Were There
The new Virginia War Memorial exhibit, “D+80: Virginians in the Normandy Invasion,” opened to the public June 6, 2024 – the 80th anniversary of D-Day when American and Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France in 1944 during World War II.
No single action, or single day, remains more recognized or iconic in American Military History than the 6th of June 1944.
Virginians played a pivotal role in the invasion, with the 29th Infantry “Blue and Gray” Division leading the first wave assault on to Omaha Beach. Virginian units suffered some of the heaviest losses on D-Day, such as the historic 116th Infantry Regiment, which sustained 341 casualties.
“D+80 was conceived to take visitors on the long journey experienced by hundreds of thousands of American service men and women as they trained and prepared for the D-Day invasion in England, conducted the amphibious and airborne landings on June 6, 1944, and then fought tenaciously through the French hedgerows to break out and carry the fight toward Germany,” said Virginia Memorial Director and military historian Dr. Clay Mountcastle .
“With financing provided by the Virginia War Memorial Foundation, staffers began conducting and capturing eyewitness interviews with World War II veterans from around the Commonwealth over twenty years ago. The interviews were initially used to produce the award-winning series of historical documentary films, Virginians at War.” added Mountcastle.
“With this exhibition, we hope visitors can connect with these emotional stories that truly capture how soldiers were feeling before, during, and after the landing. Imagine the power of hearing about the invasion in the words, and the voices of those who were there.”
The Virginia War Memorial staff, including Director of Exhibits and Collections Jesse Smith, Director of Education James Triesler, Assistant Education Director Kyndall Drumheller, Archivist Sylvia Marshall, spent over a year doing research and designing the “D+80” exhibit which includes photos, uniforms, maps, and other artifacts from the Memorial’s collection.
The D+80 exhibition is made possible by supporters of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation including: the Widgeon Foundation, the Chrisman Family Foundation, the Alfred I. duPont Foundation, Inc., the Peachtree House Foundation, the Elman B. Duff Charitable Fund, Marcia Mercer, Linda Miller, and Martha and Mike Santoro.
In addition to this new exhibit, the Memorial also includes the Virginia Medal of Honor Gallery, featuring the fifty Virginians who have been awarded this prestigious honor, and Reynolds Theater, where guest may view the original D-Day documentary film created by the VWMF as well as the complete collection of 29 films in the “Virginians at War” film series. The Shrine of Memory where the names of nearly 12,000 Virginia heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice are inscribed, is the centerpiece of the Memorial.
The “D+80” exhibit and all Memorial exhibts are free and open to the public seven days a week at the Virginia War Memorial located at 621 South Belvidere Street in downtown Richmond. There is free, covered parking onsite. The Memorial grounds overlooking the James River Valley are open from dawn to dusk seven days a week. The interior portions of the Memorial – that Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center and the Wright Pavilion – are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m.
