The sacrifices made by residents of a small Virginia town are being honored on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Nineteen men from Bedford, Virginia, were killed soon after reaching the beaches in Normandy on June 6, 1944, when Allied forces landed to push Nazi forces out of France.
President Donald Trump honored the town, which ultimately suffered the greatest per capita losses on D-Day, in an address in front of world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
"They lost nineteen just from the small town of Bedford, Virginia, alone," Trump said. Two others died following the Normandy invasion, according to a memorial website.
Trump went on to honor the last known surviving member of Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the Virginia National Guard, Russell Pickett.
"Private Pickett, you honor us all with your presence," he said, before shaking the veteran's hand.
In a ceremony at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine also put a solemn focus onto Bedford.
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"There were 32 young men from Bedford who came ashore on that first day. Nineteen were killed almost immediately and another three died within the first few days," Kaine said.
Bedford is now the site of the National D-Day Memorial and a museum honoring The Bedford Boys.
Tune into News4 at 4, 5 and 6 as Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey goes to Bedford, Virginia.
