Liberty University mulled ownership of D-Day Memorial

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D-Day memorial at risk of closing, president says

Liberty University has considered taking ownership of the financially struggling National D-Day Memorial after being approached by officials from the Bedford landmark, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said Wednesday.

“I just don’t see where it fits with our educational mission at this time,” Falwell said.

“But their proposal — we’re willing to look at it, and they could convince us otherwise with some creative thinking.

“It’s such an asset to this whole region and the men that died; they deserve that honor and respect. But so far, there’s no concrete plans for Liberty to become the owner.”

Liberty has been involved with the foundation over the past year in planning a two-day conference that begins today commemorating the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

More than 30 historians, veterans and others are scheduled to speak at the conference, which also is expected to draw in an attendance of at least 100 people. The conference will be held at the LU Law School.

That conference kicks off a larger celebration of D-Day starting Saturday at 11 a.m., at the memorial. The event includes music, a reunion tent for veterans, oral histories, a USO show and hundreds of luminaries lit in honor of those who lost their lives in the D-Day invasion.

All these events come just a week after Memorial Foundation President William McIntosh said that the memorial is in financial trouble and at risk of closure.

It operates on a $2.2 million yearly budget, he said, and brings in about $600,000 a year from ticket sales, gift shop proceeds and tours.

Barry Moore, LU’s vice president for outreach and strategic partnerships, said the college had been in talks with the foundation on and off for about six months.

“We gave it a good look, and thought it through thoroughly,” he said. “But just too much is going on at LU right now to add a new partner or financial relationship.”

When in discussions with local organizations, McIntosh said, most said either that the memorial would not support their educational mission, or that the financial burden would be too great.

One possible solution came Wednesday as Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th District, introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to bring the National D-Day Memorial under the National Park Service’s supervision.

“The National D-Day Memorial is a reminder of the bravery and heroism of our American armed forces, and we must not let it fail,” Perriello said in a statement. “The men we lost were local heroes, but the freedom and security bought with their sacrifice is a national treasure. So, too, is our D-Day Memorial.”

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

McIntosh said that coming under the leadership of the National Park Service would be a “very desirable scenario” for the memorial.

“I am pleased that it is going to go through both houses of the Congress,” he said, “and I’m hopeful that the events (in commemoration of D-Day) of the next few days, and the attention that veterans and the D-Day memorial will receive will create a kind of excitement that will, perhaps, move the process along a little faster than it otherwise might.”