D-Day memorial at risk of closing, president says

The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford is bleeding financially and could require new management to continue pushing forward in its operations.

William McIntosh, the memorial foundation president, said Thursday in a phone interview the nonprofit needs to find a way to bring in more money or undergo a change in management to avoid closure.

For several years, the memorial has been debt-free but has struggled to bring in contributions due to the rise in gas prices and the downturn of the economy, he said. 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.

McIntosh’s concerns come just one week before a major commemoration marking the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the largest land, air and sea operation in military history.

Organizers expect the event to be the largest gathering at the memorial since 2001, when President Bush dedicated the memorial before a crowd of more than 20,000 people.

Memorial foundation officials have said this could be the last opportunity to properly honor D-Day veterans in large ceremonial fashion — the youngest would be in the early 80s.

McIntosh said from the outset, it has stood on shaky financial footing.

“From the very inception to the present day, everyone has proceeded with the best intentions,” McIntosh said. “It was fragile the day it was incorporated. Why? It needed to belong to a parent corporation.”

A five-member board of directors and five officers oversee the memorial’s operations. The memorial foundation employs 20 people. McIntosh said the memorial has recently suspended contributions to retirement plans and revised health care packages for staff.

McIntosh insists that the morale of workers and volunteers is “extremely high” despite the financial situation.

“We’ve weathered some very vigorous assaults,” he said. “We’re out of ammunition now. It’s time to fix our bayonets and we’re doing that … we’re charging forward. People are carrying on with a spring in their step.”

There are several scenarios that could help ease the memorial’s financial woes, McIntosh said, including a $32 million endowment, the creation of a $5 million reserve fund, or at the very least, a $2 million donation to help the memorial survive the next fiscal year.

McIntosh said another measure to help the memorial would be to have it fall under a “larger umbrella” of new leadership. He said that umbrella could be a federal agency, suggesting the National Park Service as an “ideal” option.

The memorial foundation this week notified the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of the current situation, said Kevin Hall, Warner’s communications director.

“We’re working with the folks with the memorial to see what the range of potential options may be,” Hall said Thursday.

The memorial, located close to U.S. 460 in the western end of the city of Bedford, is among the most popular attractions in Central Virginia. McIntosh said 55 percent of visitors to the memorial come from out of state.

Bedford lost 19 men out of 32 in the invasion — the largest per capita loss of life for an American community taking part in the invasion. The loss ultimately led to the decision to locate the national memorial in Bedford.

Several surviving members of the famed group of Bedford Boys have died over the past few years. Ray Nance, Bedford’s last surviving soldier who fought at Omaha Beach, died in late April at age 94. His hearse was driven around the memorial’s grounds shortly before the burial in a nearby city cemetery as onlookers saluted.