Search - Bedford: The Town They Left Behind on DVD

Local Boys Suffer on D-Day

Charles Walker | Bedford County, VA | 03/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A poignant story of the men from rural Bedford County, Virginia who were in the local National Guard company-sized unit and called up to serve in WWII. After basic training, the boys were sent to England where they trained for the amphibious landing planned for Normandy. On D-Day, 19 men of the unit lost their lives, including two brothers and the company commander. The film depicts episodes of the soldiers shot before and after the war. Some of the D-Day veterans filmed quite recently have passed on since the filming. The fact that the losses during that first day of the invasion represented the largest percentage of mortalities from one unit, compared to the size of the local population, led to Bedford City being selected as the site of the National D-Day Memorial. A must-see film from the same producers of the likewise touching film "Paper Clips"."

Factual and Moving

R. Lehew | Augusta, Wv USA | 05/28/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is a stunningly in-depth look at the personal sacrifice of families and individuals during a time of war. My two daughters (23 and 17) accompanied me to a viewing two days ago and we were all touched very deeply by the impact of war on the real people in the movie. To call it a moving and informative snapshot of their sacrifice for freedom just does not seem to do it justice!"

Thought-provoking

C. Finegar | Gaithersburg, MD United States | 03/25/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is another thought-provoking film by the creators of "Paper Clips." The people of Bedford VA have intense memories of World War II and its heavy impact on them. For this film, they are interviewed with sensitivity, and their opinions are firm and sometimes surprising. The videography presents their memories in an unusual and interesting way."