BEDFORD, Va. – Bedford has a deep connection to World War II, and the town commemorated one of the war’s most important dates Friday morning.
Church bells filled the air for the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, the day World War II officially ended in Europe. 19 men from Bedford, known as the “Bedford Boys,” were killed while storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.
“This brings home not only the sacrifice, but what this little town of Bedford went through,” said Ken Parker of the Bedford Boys Tribute Center.
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, which itself commemorated the 75th anniversary of D-Day last year, had planned a parade in town for V-E Day. Although the parade has been canceled, National D-Day Memorial President April Cheek-Messier said the bells still illustrate the significance of this day.
“Look what they did all those years ago. We can get through these times at well," Cheek-Messier said. "I think we take such inspiration from that generation.”