Town that lost 21 troops hosts D-Day memorial

BEDFORD, Virginia (CNN) -- Fifty-seven years ago, far across the sea, this small community in southwest Virginia lost 19 of its young men in 15 minutes.

By the end of the day -- June 6, 1944 -- the death toll among Bedford's young men in the Allied invasion of Europe had risen to 21 of the 35 soldiers from the town of 3,200.

It was the highest loss per capita for any community in the United States from a landing that resulted in nearly 10,000 Allied troops dead or wounded. In honor of Bedford's sacrifice in the battle that was the turning point in the war against Nazi Germany, the National D-Day Memorial will be dedicated on an 88-acre site here Wednesday.

The landing on France's Normandy coast was the largest amphibious assault ever undertaken. It included more than 5,000 ships, nearly 11,000 airplanes, 50,000 military vehicles and more than 150,000 troops from 12 Allied nations. More than 6,600 of the Allied casualties were Americans.

VIDEO A series of programs on HBO follow one company of soldiers through WWII. Executive Producer Tom Hanks talks about the project (June 6) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    CNN ACCESS Ambrose on D-Day: 'We're not going to forget'    MESSAGE BOARD The U.S. military

Of the U.S. casualties, 797 were troops from the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division. The regiment included Virginia National Guard troops from Bedford, located just 10 miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and other nearby communities.

In all, of 170 soldiers who fought with Company A of the 116th Regiment -- the company from Bedford -- 91 men died, 64 were wounded, and just 15 were able to continue fighting, memorial officials said.

Those losses, and the other Allied troops lost in the invasion of France, will be commemorated in Wednesday's dedication ceremony.

The nine-acre outdoor monument includes three plazas representing aspects of "Operation Overlord," the Normandy landing commanded by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

An English garden in the form of Eisenhower's headquarters insignia represents the planning of and preparation for the invasion, which took place in England.

The middle plaza represents the invasion itself, with an invasion scene that includes a reflecting pool and beach area. Both contain statues depicting the roles of troops during the operation.

The Victory Plaza represents victory and consolidation. Its centerpiece is a 44-foot, 6-inch granite arch inscribed with the word "Overlord."

Beneath the arch is the sculpture "Final Tribute," an inverted rifle stuck in the ground by its bayonet, with a helmet and dog tags resting on top -- a symbol of the temporary graves of soldiers who died in combat.

The plaza also contains five points of inlaid granite that represent the five Normandy beaches: Omaha, Utah, Gold, Sword and Juno. Flags of the 12 Allied nations that supplied forces or materials for the landing ring the perimeter.

The memorial's education center, which has not yet been built, is intended to evoke the architecture of the bunkers the Allies encountered in Normandy. The center will include a theater, exhibit spaces, seminar rooms, meeting rooms and video viewing rooms, as well as computer education workstations and research and archival spaces.