The Botetourt County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met in the Family Life Center of Fincastle United Methodist Church for their annual June luncheon. Family members, prospective members and guests joined the DAR members for this meeting.
The guest speaker for the meeting was associate member Cindy Higgins who presented a program titled “Following in the Steps of the Bedford Boys.” June 6 was the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord, commonly known as “D-Day.” The “Bedford Boys” were a group of 37 young men from Bedford County who were in the first wave of the attack. As a result, Bedford suffered the worst per capita loss of any community in the nation.
Higgins has visited Normandy several times with her mother and sisters who are all members of the Bedford International Alliance – a group dedicated to preserving the memory of the Bedford Boys through relationships with Bedfordshire and Ivybridge in England and the Omaha Beach area in Normandy, France. Her mother grew up in Bedford and knew several of the families whose sons were lost in that attack. It was inspiring to learn about the journey the Bedford Boys took – from their enlistment, through their training in England, to the morning in 1944 their landing crafts came ashore on Omaha Beach.
The Good Citizen winners for 2024 were recognized. Isabelle Sanchez of Lord Botetourt High School attended with her father, Rob Sanchez (photo right). She will be attending Virginia Tech this fall. The James River High School winner was Paul Theimer; his parents are Michael and Jennifer Theimer. He will also be attending Virginia Tech this fall. Each winner received a check for $250, sponsored by First Bank.
After the meeting, members and guests were served lunch prepared by the Fincastle United Methodist Church Women.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit, non-political organization founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org. If you are interested or have questions about joining this organization, contact Membership Chair Emily Talbot-Guillote via email at eptg1019@gmail.com or Registrar JoElla Hall John at jjohnregistrar@gmail.com; or visit the website at https://bocodar.wixsite.com/bocodar.
~ Botetourt Chapter of the DAR
