Critically acclaimed author of The Bedford Boys, Alex Kershaw, spoke at the National Guard Memorial on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Presented by the National Guard Educational Foundation.
The story of nineteen boys from Bedford, Virginia—population just 3,000 in 1944—who died in the first bloody minutes of D-Day.
They were part of Company A of the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division, and the first wave of American soldiers to hit the beaches in Normandy. Later in the campaign, three more boys from this small Virginia town died of gunshot wounds. Twenty-two sons of Bedford lost—it is a story one cannot easily forget and one that the families of Bedford will never forget.
The Bedford Boys is the true and intimate story of these men and the friends and families they left behind. Based on extensive interviews with survivors and relatives, as well as diaries and letters, Kershaw’s book focuses on several remarkable individuals and families to tell one of the most poignant stories of World War II—the story of one small American town that went to war and died on Omaha Beach.
Watch a Replay of the Livestream Here:
You may purchase The Bedford Boys on Amazon here:
About the Author:
Educated at Oxford University, Alex Kershaw is the widely-acclaimed, prize-winning, New York Times best-selling author of twelve books, including The Longest Winter, The Bedford Boys, The First Wave, The Liberator, Against All Odds, and most recently, Patton’s Prayer. He is currently the resident historian of the Friends of the National WWII Memorial.
Learn more about the Friends of the National WWII Memorial Here:
