Members of the Omaha Beach, Bedford, Va, Association hold banners honoring the Bedford Boys June 6, 2025, at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. On June 6, 1944, D-Day, 29th ID Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 116th Infantry Regiment, from the small community of Bedford, Virginia, were among the first to land on Omaha Beach at 6:30 a.m. That morning on the beach, 19 men from Alpha Company - the Bedford Boys - died, the largest per capita loss of any American town. More than 600 U.S. service members, including 30 from the 29th ID, are in Normandy to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)