I highly recommend THE BEDFORD BOYS if you are interested in Virginia 1930-1944.  It is the story of the men of Co. A 116th Infantry, Virginia National Guard who lead the assault on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944.  It resonated particularly strong with me since I grew up not far away in Covington, my father was battery commander of the 246th Coast Artillery, Va Nat Guard, and as a child I often heard of him talk of 'the boys in the battery' and the dollar or so they got per drill was big money during the depression.  The book is a smaller, more localized, and certainly more Virginia story than Stepehn Ambrose's 'and of Brothers.'

My question: Did Virginia Public TV or somebody else do a special on Co. A a few years ago?  I remember several excellent VPT productions of mid-20th century Virginia,  like 'Charlottesville During the War.'  If it has not been done, somebody really should do it.  It's a wonderful human story of young men suddenly swept up from a one-night-a-week local military participation, to life-and-death on the beaches.

Randy Cabell

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html