Photo: Bob Graf and Lacey RobinsonThe Kiwanis Club of Carrollton met on Friday, June 7, 2024, at local restaurant American Pie Pizzeria. The program, presented by Lacey Robinson and Bob Graf, focused on marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. The timing of the program was particularly poignant given the anniversary date of the invasion, and featured extraordinary photographs. Intricate diagrams illustrated the strategy of allies by air, land, and sea - aircrafts, troops, tanks, and ships - on the five beaches of embarkation. The overarching story was movingly accentuated by an overview of the small town of Bedford, Virginia, and its significance in the invasion. Thirty-seven men from this storybook town liberated a continent and changed the world. Nineteen of the 31 men lost their lives in the first nine minutes of the encounter, including three sets of brothers, which was the highest per capita loss in the U.S. As Kiwanis, we respectfully and emotionally honor the valor, nobility, and immeasurable sacrifice of the allied forces, and we will forever remember the heroic fallen who remain giants in humanity.
