
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 3, 1994                    TAG: 9406020180 
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON                     PAGE: 20    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
DATELINE: 940603                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE NORMANDY INVASION, RIGHT HERE SATURDAY

{LEAD} The U.S. Army is preparing for an invasion this weekend along the city's northern shore. Fort Story to be exact. They even know the precise time Saturday.

The beach at Cape Henry will be flooded with an army of spectators as thousands flock here to commemorate the heroism of men who lost their lives to win others' freedom 50 years ago.

{REST} More than 111,000 American, British and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, and a crowd of slightly less than one-tenth that size is expected for this anniversary in Virginia Beach.

Local residents who hope to witness a re-enactement of the historic event at Fort Story are urged to stake out their position early on Saturday because space will be limited and spectators will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers say spectators should be at Fort Story no later than 11 a.m.

Spectators should enter the base through the western gate on Shore Drive. The east entrance at the northern end of Atlantic Avenue will be closed to the public.

Some 200 survivors of the original assault will be on hand at 2 p.m. when 1,000 ``re-enactors'' in period uniforms wade ashore to square off in a mock battle at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where the U.S. Army has been conducting amphibious training operations since World War II.

Friday night will set the mood for the '40s era with an Operation Overlord Victory Dance - a nostalgic USO-type affair at the Oceana Naval Air station. The dance will be held in a hangar and will feature the big band sounds of the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, conducted by Buddy Morrow. Black tie or period clothing is required. Admission is $65 a person for World War II veterans, $75 a person for anyone else.

Movie actor Van Johnson, a war-era heart-throb, now 78, is to make an appearance at the Friday dance, then act as grand marshall of an Atlantic Avenue parade that begins Saturday at 9 a.m.

A Stage Door Canteen show follows the Saturday re-enactment at Fort Story. Historic displays of vintage World War II military gear will be open to the public Friday and Saturday at Fort Story and at Camp Pendleton just south of the resort area.

The local D-Day anniversary observance will conclude Sunday at 10 a.m. with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cape Henry Monument at Fort Story.

by CNB