Presented by April Cheek-Messier.

On Sunday, 25 June 1944, Ivylyn Schenk wrote from her home in the rural community of Bedford, Virginia to her husband who was serving with the 29th Infantry Division and stationed in Europe. She wrote him faithfully each day and, on this particular date, was excited to acknowledge their anniversary.

John, my darling.

Well, it has been twenty-two months since we were married. It has seemed very long, and yet, unbelievably short in duration – the only constant thing about it is that I continue to love and appreciate you more and more each day… How it thrills me to realize that soon you’ll be coming back home and we will be together for the rest of our lives…

Ivylyn had no idea as she lovingly composed this letter, that her husband John lay buried on the beaches of Normandy, killed 19 days earlier on D-Day, 6 June 1944. She would continue writing him for over a month. When discovering the news of his death, she would never be the same. And so it would be for families throughout the United States: sweethearts, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and family members who would cheer the news of a successful invasion and grieve at the loss.

Through period photos and individual stories of service and sacrifice, participants will discover more about the training and preparation for D-Day, how it changed the world and our region, and its continued impact today. The session will conclude with how a group of WWII veterans themselves spearheaded the making of a monument to preserve the history they helped make.

April Cheek-Messier is a native of Bedford, Virginia, and has been with the National D-Day Memorial Foundation since January 2001. She served as the Director of Education from 2001 to 2010 before becoming Vice President of Education. In 2013, she was named President and CEO of the Foundation. She has served on several boards including Chair of the Virginia World War II Heritage Alliance and was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the Virginia War Memorial Board of Directors in Richmond. From 2009 to 2015 she contributed her time to the Virginia Association of Museums as a member of the board of directors.

Cheek-Messier also lectures on the history of WWII and has written for several publications. She has taught several college-level history courses. In 2019, John Long and April Cheek-Messier published, We Will Remember Them: An Accounting of the D-Day Fallen, the most authoritative list of Allied fatalities ever compiled which embodied more than twenty years of research. The result of this work is the only name-by-name listing of D-Day fatalities in the world. Cheek-Messier received her BA degree in English and History from Hollins University. She acquired two master’s degrees, one in History from Virginia Tech and another in Education from Hollins University. She resides in Bedford, Virginia with her husband John and they have five children.  

The University of Lynchburg’s LIFE@Lynchburg program offers not-for-credit learning opportunities for community members aged 50 and older. The program features weekly presentations on a variety of engaging topics, taught by current and retired faculty and staff members or area educators and presenters.

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