ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996               TAG: 9610250102
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-4  EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JOANNE POINDEXTER 
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.

NATIONAL D-DAY MEMORIAL GETS 1ST STATE CHECK

The National D-Day Foundation recently began receiving state funds, and on Thursday two state legislators were in Bedford to mark the event.

Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, and state Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, gave foundation officials a ceremonial check for $150,000.

The foundation will plan, build and operate a memorial to the Allied Forces who invaded the Normandy coast of France on June 6, 1944. Bedford was selected for the monument because it suffered the greatest per-capita loss of life of any U.S. community on D-Day.

Only 12 of the 35 Bedford-area soldiers serving with Company A of the 29th Division's 116th Infantry regiment survived the storming of Omaha Beach.

The foundation will receive $150,000 during the 1996-97 fiscal year and $100,000 for fiscal 1997-98 from the state. The money must be used for daily operations and not construction, said Richard Burrow, foundation executive director.

Having the foundation's efforts supported by the state of Virginia, said Bob Slaughter, chairman of the foundation's board of directors, "means a great deal to D-Day veterans and to the families of those who gave their lives for freedom and peace in the world."

"I think [the memorial] has virtually unlimited tourism potential for Virginia and Bedford," Putney said during the ceremony on the steps of the Bedford County Courthouse.

Burrow said the foundation has received $1.8 million in state and local government support and another $50,000 in cash or pledges from individuals, foundations and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.

He said no date has been set to start building because the foundation wants to have the majority of the money needed for construction on hand first. The foundation has about $1 million in construction money for the $4million memorial and $2.6million educational center.

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