Virginia
Virginia War Memorial uncovers a hidden treasure trove of voices of those who survived D-Day
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond is a beautiful and solemn place for silence speaks for itself. But hidden deep inside this landmark fresh, voices are adding new chapters to a defining moment of World War II.
As curators and archivists were preparing the D-Day Plus 80 exhibit, the team made a discovery locked away for a quarter of a century.
“Almost nobody has heard these stories,” Virginia War Memorial Executive Director Clay Mountcastle said. ”This is the actual history to tell you what it was like and what they experienced.”
Mountcastle said interviews with 43 veterans of the Normandy invasion are now playing for the very first time.
“It is incredibly riveting to hear what they went through,” Mountcastle said. “So it was amazing to us. It kind of was this moment where we realized ‘Oh my goodness. Look what we have. We have to share this with everybody.’”
The recordings include U.S. Army nurse 1st Lt. Ruth Puryear.
“Then the commanding officer came in with a radio. We heard Eisenhower’s speech to the troops. The invasion of France had begun,” the Richmond was recorded saying.
U.S. Navy sailor StM1c Jerry Gaiter from Richmond, who was serving on a destroyer off the coast of D-Day, provided another voice from the past.
“Finally about noon they called us in for bombardment and we went in and bombarded the beach,” he said. “It was pretty rough that first day.”
The raw conversations were recorded in the late 1990s and early 2000s as part of the Virginians at War series used in high schools across the Commonwealth.
PFC Arthur “Art” Schintzel with the 1st Infantry from Williamsburg was wounded 11 times on D-Day.
“The ramps went down and the bullets came in,” Schintzel said. “It wasn’t long before I received a bullet wound in my left forearm.”
“They were aiming at your body and legs and all so they could put you out of commission,” PFC Henry Myers from Halifax remembered. “As it went on through the day, I passed out I lost so much blood.”
The unedited portions of the interviews were sitting in storage waiting to be found. Hours of stories from soldiers, sailors, nurses, pilots and paratroopers detailing June 6th, 1944 and the battles beyond have been digitized.
“That is when I saw the carnage on the beach what it looked like. The landing craft. Two tanks on fire. Bodies washing in the surf,” SSgt Bob Slaughter from Roanoke said in one recording.
1st Lt. Evelyn Kowalchuck recalled sleeping in a foxhole on Omaha Beach. The U.S. Army Nurse was haunted by what she witnessed trying to save lives.
“We had at times what we call sucking wounds. Chest wounds. Or head wound. When we came home to say England for the night very little was said,” said Kowalchuck. “We just laid there and cried. Something that most of us did.”
It is estimated only 5% of the Memorial’s D-Day interviews were ever viewed.
Glider Pilot Guy DeGenaro, from Richmond, survived delivering infantry into the heart of German-held territory. Fellow pilots weren’t so lucky.
“For a minute or so you don’t know if you’re going to be alive or dead,” Degenaro said. “That was something that stayed with me for the rest of my life.”
Memorial archivist Sylvia Marshall called these rare recordings audio and video a treasure.
“The fact that oral histories are so rarely linear you’re getting a more personal perspective of that day,” Marshall said. “And they were able to really speak to their experiences and speak to this powerful moment of history.”
T/Sgt. Raymond Mays remembers losing a good friend in the hedgerows.
“Bless his heart. A week or ten days later he lost his life,” the Richmond man said. “That was the end of our friendship at that time. He was a great man. A great man.”
Director of Exhibits and Collections Jesse Smith said preserving the stories was priority one.
“Some of these interviews give accounts like none other,” Smith said. “When we converted them to digital some of them were choppy. They would skip. So you could tell the tape was starting to break down.”
Had the recordings been damaged beyond repair, these tales could not be retold.
“Unfortunately when our veterans pass away they take their stories with them,” Smith said.
“Sadly, none of these veterans are still with us today,” Mountcastle added. “That underscores just how important it is to capture those stories when you can.”
By safeguarding and sharing these memories the legacy of these eyewitnesses endures.
“What a sight. Everybody shooting around you. Shells landing around you. Other small boats blowing up,” U.S. Navy Sailor Gerald Thomspson, from Staunton, said.
“This is invaluable to understanding our history. Not just as Virginians but as Americans. When you hear somebody tell their story it’s like they’re still with us,” Mountcastle said. ”There is no substitute.”
They are new voices from Normandy and stories from D-Day that echo across the decades.
The “D+80” exhibit is open to the public at the Virginia War Memorial. Admission is free.
Watch Greg McQuade’s stories on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. If you know someone Greg should profile, email him at greg.mcquade@wtvr.com.
EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — As the war in Iran stretches toward a week, evacuations out of the region continue, including efforts coordinated by a Northern Virginia-based security company that has helped move nearly 4,000 people out of the Middle East.
Global Guardian has assisted people in evacuating at least 15 countries through a combination of charter and commercial flights, according to Colin O’Brien, the company’s deputy vice president of operations. Most of them are Americans, he said.
ALSO SEE | Middle East expert says uncertain future in Iran could be just as dangerous
“The primary objective is to get them out of the Middle East, to move them to places where they have freedom of movement, where there are pre-existing commercial airline options — so places like Western Europe, Turkey, Cairo, where I have major functioning international airports that have yet to be affected by this crisis,” O’Brien explained. “And then from there, we can take our time. We can get the right plane ticket, and we can send them home.”
Meanwhile, airports, including Dulles, are experiencing some flight cancellations and delays from the Middle East.
7News was at baggage claim as people returned to America, greeting loved ones with hugs.
One man who wished to remain anonymous spoke with 7News while waiting for his daughter and grandchildren to return from the Middle East, where his son-in-law is stationed in the military.
READ ALSO | Capitol Hill grapples with Iran strategy, war powers
He said he is grateful to have them home, but it’s bittersweet because his son-in-law is still over there amid the conflict.
A woman who arrived Thursday afternoon told 7News she’s grateful to be away from potential danger but feels sorry for those who can’t leave.
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Virginia
Virginia Tech women overcome slow start to rally past Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament opener
DULUTH, Ga. (WDBJ/Hokie Sports) – Sixth-seeded Virginia Tech fought back from a 14-point deficit late in the first quarter, rallying for a 62-54 victory over No. 11 seed Georgia Tech in the second round of the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Tournament Thursday evening.
The Hokies, who move to 23-8 overall on the season, earned their first ACC Tournament victory in the Megan Duffy era. Tech moves on to the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2024.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia Tech faced a four-point deficit until Leila Wells (7:15) stepped up for a three-pointer to keep the Hokies within reach early. Her triple would be Tech’s only field goal until the final 40 seconds of the opening quarter. Carleigh Wenzel provided a late spark for the Hokies, getting down the lane (0:40) and hitting a basket (0:18) in the final minute to stop the run, but Georgia Tech carried a 17–7 lead into the second quarter.
Playing inspired, the Hokies sprinted out of the break for five straight points with layups from Samyha Suffren (9:50) and Mackenzie Nelson (9:28), along with a make at the stripe from Wenzel, to close to 17-12 at the 8:12 mark. The momentum continued to swing in Tech’s favor as it ripped off 15 straight points, a run ignited by Suffren’s (7:44) fast-break lay-in and capped by a Carys Baker (1:33) triple to give the Hokies a 27-19 lead. Free throws closed out the half for both sides as Virginia Tech headed into the locker room with a 29-23 edge. The Hokies forced six turnovers in the second period, scoring 10 points off the Yellow Jackets’ miscues.
Both sides traded baskets to kick off the second half before Tech knocked down consecutive makes from beyond the arc, the first from Wells (8:31) and the second from Nelson (7:59), to stretch the advantage to double figures, 37-27. It remained a back-and-forth game until Baker’s free throws with 3:35 remaining in the period gave the Hokies their largest lead of the contest at 48-37. Georgia Tech closed out the frame scoring six unanswered as the margin narrowed to 50-46 in favor of Tech at the end of the third.
The Yellow Jackets’ run continued into the fourth quarter as the score moved to 50-48 at the 9:26 mark. Virginia Tech rattled off seven consecutive points, including a three-pointer from Wenzel (7:08), to push ahead by nine with 4:44 remaining, 57-48. Suffren pulled up for a jumper outside the paint with just over a minute left in the contest, but Georgia Tech finished with a layup at the buzzer as Virginia Tech closed out the 62-54 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Virginia Tech won their first game as a six-seed in the ACC Tournament (1-0) and first against Georgia Tech (1-2) in program history
- The Hokies have now won four of their last five opening contests in the conference tournament
- Tech also earned their first ACC Tournament victory in the Megan Duffy era
- Virginia Tech controlled the glass, 41-36
- The Hokies held the Yellow Jackets to six points in the second quarter, matching the fewest by an opponent in a quarter this season (last versus Loyola MD on Nov. 9, 2025)
- Guard Carleigh Wenzel paced Tech in scoring with 15 points for her 15th-straight game in double figures
- Redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Nelson followed with a near double-double of 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds
- Nelson also tallied six assists, two assists, one block, and committed zero turnovers
- Guard Leila Wells put together eight points and a career-best six rebounds in 15 minutes of action
- Samyha Suffren registered her career-best five assists
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech advances to the Quarterfinal Round of the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament Friday, March 6 against third-seeded North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
Copyright 2026 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
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