The Shenandoah County Historical Society will be bringing a world-class educational exhibit commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day to the John O. Marsh National Guard Armory at 451 Hoover Road in Woodstock, VA, in partnership with Tradition Studios, The World War II Foundation, and the Regulus Group, from October 5 – 20, 2024. The exhibit will be traveling from the World War II Experience Museum in Gettysburg, PA.
D-Day (June 7, 1944) is the day that Allied forces launched the largest invasion from the sea in the history of war. The code name for D-Day was Operation “Overload.” The Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy were the beginning of the campaign to liberate northern and western Europe from Nazi occupation.
Keith Rocco, designer and coordinator of the event, states “The D-Day, Omaha Beach traveling exhibit could have no better location to visit than the John O. Marsh National Guard Armory, home of B Company, 116th Infantry Regiment. It is befitting that this exhibit will be on display in Shenandoah County, where Route 11 is designated the ‘116th Infantry Regiment Memorial Highway.’ The 116th was the spear tip of the 29th Infantry Division’s assault on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944, a day when freedom loving people beat down the wall of fascism and slavery.”
The D-Day exhibit includes two lifelike dioramas of the landing on Omaha Beach, living history displays, a Hall of Valor-World War II Service of local heroes, World War II vehicle and weapons displays with an emphasis on arms used on D-Day, and more. The exhibit will be free and open to the public on Saturdays, October 4, 12, and 19th , from 10 am to 4 pm; Sundays, October 6 an, 13, and 20th from 12 noon to 4 pm; and Mondays, October 7 and 14th from 10 am to 4 pm. Group visits including school groups can be arranged by calling 540-459-1795.
The dioramas use sight and sound to recreate the assault on Omaha Beach eighty years ago. They cover 72 square feet with over 500 figures. Landing craft, tanks, and German defenses are laid out for visitors to experience what happened that day. Short videos, illustrated panels, and life-size, uniformed mannequins assist in retelling the story of D-Day.
On Saturday, October 19, from 1 to 4 pm, a D-Day Symposium will be held with three distinguished guest speakers. Dr. Jared Frederick, a history professor at Penn State, will present “Dispatches of D-Day” exploring the Normandy invasion through firsthand accounts reported and shared in newspapers of the era. Colonel John Fenzel, CEO of the World War II Foundation, uses interactive media in “D-Day Perspectives” to present on the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the End of World War II. Lieutenant General Benjamin Freakley’s presentation “General Dwight D. Eisenhower” examines General Eisenhower’s selection as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces and the decisions that he made impacting D-Day.
On Saturday, October 12, from 7 to 9:30 pm, a 1940s USO-Style Concert and Dance will be held at Charter House School in Edinburg with the Jump Alley Band performing. Participants are encouraged to come and dance, or just enjoy the concert! Admission is $10 per person.
Other highlights of the exhibit include a Higgins boat on display from the 29th Division museum in Verona, Virginia. There will also be a special display on Woodstock’s D-Day Hero, 2nd Lieutenant Edward Gearing, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second highest decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism. Gearing led a group on one of the boats that landed on the beach.
Young and old alike can become engaged, educated about D-Day, and remember the sacrifices made on D-Day and all of World War II, by visiting the exhibit at the John O. Marsh National Guard Armory.
