Roanoke – Memorial Day weekend is not just a time for sales and days off, but the true meaning, to honor our fallen heroes.
Flags waving on every veteran’s grave site at Evergreen Burial Park in honor of those who fought and died for our freedom.
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Dozens gathered at a Roanoke cemetery for a heartfelt Memorial Day tribute.
The focus is on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, specifically honoring the legacy of the Bedford boys. A group of forty-four soldiers from Bedford who were the first to land on the beaches of Normandy.
“Evergreen is the burial place of two men who lost their lives on that bloody beach...Crossing that beach and taking out a German and being resourceful just shows us what was needed to keep our freedom free and out country at peace after the war,” Donald Wilson, President of Evergreen Memorial Trust said.
A historical actor took on the role of one D-Day veteran and Bedford boy to share his story.
“My name is John Robert Slaughter, but you can call me Bob, that’s what my friends call me,” David Gilmer, Historical actor said.
Slaughter survived the war and helped bring the national D-Day memorial to Bedford, a site that brings in tens of thousands of people each year. His war stories shared as a way to never forget history.
“And what a large endeavor I was a part of, but also just to see all the casualties drifted up on the shoreline, the tide had come in by that point and there were so many boys that we had lost,” Gilmer re-enacted.
The re-enactments, artifacts, and stories are all a way to share a piece of history through the eyes of veterans who fought for our freedom.