On June 6, 1944, today remembered as D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, beginning the invasion to reclaim France. It remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, and was a pivotal moment in WWII.
This flag was on USAT George W. Goethals, a transport ship that delivered soldiers to Normandy. The flag shows the emblem of the Army Transportation Corps: a winged train wheel on a track over a shield representing a highway marker and a ship’s wheel, indicating the four main areas of army transportation: land, sea, air, and rail.
You can see this flag on display this weekend as part of the Salem Museum’s Hands-On History display. For May and June items are from D-Day and World War II.
Join the Salem Museum for “Remembering D-Day” on June 8 from 10am-4pm. To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, the 24th Virginia Infantry Living Historians will be on hand in uniform with an extensive collection of objects from D-Day and WWII.
The Salem Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-4pm and located at 801 E. Main St.