NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Bedford, Virginia, exudes quiet dignity amidst its picturesque landscapes. In 2001, President George W. Bush dedicated The National D-Day Memorial, honoring the Bedford Boys and Allied forces who braved Normandy’s shores on June 6, 1944.
The Bedford Boys, a group of brave soldiers from this small town, were members of Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. Their names symbolize heroism and sacrifice, and their legacy is immortalized in history.
On D-Day, 20 sons of Bedford made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives amidst the chaos and carnage of war. For a community of just over three thousand people, the loss of 20 young men –sons, brothers, fathers, uncles– was a devastating blow.
Among the Bedford Boys of Company A was Private Raymond Clarence Bell, a fresh-faced teenager from Rhinehart, Louisiana. Despite his youth, he possessed courage, pressing forward until he was cut down by German artillery fire on what later became known as “Bloody Omaha Beach.” At 19, he was the youngest Louisianan to fall on that fateful day, his name forever etched alongside his comrades in arms.
Though Bell’s life was cut short on the sands of Omaha Beach, his memory lives on. He rests in peace at the Pine Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Rhinehart.
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