“Lady of Trevieres” Statue

“French and American dignitaries and veterans unveiled a statue entitled the Lady of Trevieres in a ceremony today that included the presentation of French Legion of Honor Medals to Bedford Mayor Mike Shelton, former military nurse Evelyn Kowalchuk, and D-Day Veteran Bob Slaughter. The original statue, Le Monument aux Morts, was placed in the village of Trevieres, France in 1921 as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War I. During World War II, shrapnel struck the statue and blew away the lower portion of her face. The townspeople chose not to repair the statue as a reminder of the horrors and destruction of war. With the help of the Wildenstein Family, the Republic of France donated an exact replica to Bedford and the National D-Day Memorial.”

-- The Visitor’s Viewpoint, Bedford, Va., October 23, 2002
 
 

The “statue finds its place in this imposing setting, where the battle of Normandy seems to be reenacted before our very eyes...These are overwhelming images for us, but those who were there at the time will probably forever remember the horror, the salty taste of the sea or perhaps of the blood, the acrid smell of gunpowder, the deafening noise of the cannon, the cry of the wounded.

“It is imperative that we never forget the ultimate sacrifice made in Europe by so many young soldiers, nor the caring the United States showed for the thousands of immigrants who came to these shores to seek shelter and freedom...

“I am hopeful that future generations will understand the courage and sacrifice it took to restore freedom to the old continent.

“...like her big sister Lady Liberty in New York harbor, (the lady of Trevieres) stands as a symbol of the friendship and gratitude of France for the United States.”

-- Dedicatory Speech, October 23, 2002, at the Memorial

The Inscription on the Base of the Lady of Trevieres

  A gift to the National D-Day Memorial,
              the City of Bedford,
                  and the Nation,
    from Guy Wildenstein and his family.
           With our eternal gratitude
       to the United States of America
        for restoring France’s freedom,
      for granting asylum to our parents,
and for halting the extermination of a people.
                      In memory
of the American soldiers who gave their lives
          on the beaches of Normandy
                      in June 1944.

More statuary is planned for the memorial, especially on the “beach.” Your financial assistance would make that goal reachable. If you would like to support the statuary program, please contact The National D-Day Memorial Foundation.