LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Fifty-seven years ago, Allied troops began their effort to liberate Europe from the Nazis (sic). On this D-Day-plus-57, the town of Bedford, Virginia, is once again remembering the special contribution that it made to Operation Overlord. Joining us now, with that story now, CNN's John King, who's standing by, in Bedford, Virginia -- John.</s>JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Leon. President Bush is due here shortly as well, to take his part in the ceremonies dedicating the new National D-Day Memorial. You see that behind me etched in top: "Overload." That, as you mentioned, the Operation Overload was the Allied name for the strike on Normandy; 154,000 soldiers from 12 Allied nation -- the flags of those nations fly around the monument here in Bedford, Virginia -- stormed the five beaches of Normandy, beginning back on June 6, 1944. Why Bedford, Virginia, a very tiny community a little more than 200 miles southwest of Washington? Population 3,200 here, back in 1944, but it was the home of Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment. Twenty-one sons of Bedford died in the Normandy invasion. That is the highest per capita loss of any community in the United States. This is a 15-acre site. The monument stands a little more than 44 feet. As I mentioned, the 12 flags of the Allied nations that participated in the operation fly around the monument here. The ceremony is already under way, President Bush taking time to come to deliver the dedicating remarks at this ceremony, as he prepares for a trip to Europe himself, his first as president, and remembers the bravery of not only the U.S. troops, but the Allies' troops in that operation, now 57 years ago, the turning point of World War II -- Leon.</s>HARRIS: Thank you, John -- John King, reporting live. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
In Bedford, Virginia, National D-Day Memorial Opens