A new Virginia War Memorial exhibit, “D+80: Virginians in the Normandy Invasion,” opens on June 6 the 80th anniversary of D-Day when American and Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France in 1944 during World War II.

“D+80 was conceived to take visitors on the long journey experienced by hundreds of thousands of American service men and women as they trained and prepared for the D-Day invasion in England, conducted the amphibious and airborne landings June 6, 1944, and then fought tenaciously through the French hedgerows to break out and carry the fight toward Germany,” said noted military historian and Virginia Memorial Director Clay Mountcastle.

“The Virginia War Memorial began conducting and capturing eyewitness interviews with World War II veterans from around the Commonwealth over twenty years ago to use in producing the award-winning series “Virginians at War,” historical documentary films,” added Dr. Mountcastle. “These veterans interviewed are no longer with us, but their stories remain and have found a new life as part of this exhibit that will educate and inform future generations.”

Dr. Mountcastle noted the Virginia War Memorial staff including Director of Exhibits and Collections Jesse Smith, Director of Education James Triesler, Assistant Education Director Kyndall Drumheller, Archivist Sylvia Marshall and volunteers spent over a year doing research and designing the “D+80” exhibit, which includes photos and other artifacts from the War Memorial’s collection.

The “D+80” exhibit may be experienced in the C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion at the Virginia War Memorial in Downtown Richmond.