Bedford Boys Tribute Center reports international visitors and seeks plaque placement, ship naming

Ken Parker updated the Town Council on the Bedford Boys Tribute Center’s recent activities and outreach, saying the center had nearly 21,000 visitors by year-end 2025 from all 50 U.S. states and 34 countries.

Parker described a completed 2-by-3-foot granite plaque that individually lists each Bedford Boy and said the National Guard Educational Foundation and the American Battle Monuments Commission approved mounting the plaque on a monument in Normandy. He provided the council with a packet including photos and a thumb drive of an hour-and-15-minute ceremony held Sept. 27.

Parker also described a multi-member petition delivered to the Secretary of the Navy requesting that the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer off the line be christened "USS Bedford Boys." He said the petition was submitted by a group that included members of Congress, the Virginia adjutant general and other veterans’ leaders and that the group was awaiting an official announcement.

Why it matters: The tribute center is responsible for preserving the history of the Bedford Boys and marking their service; the plaque placement on an American Battle Monuments Commission site and a possible ship naming would extend that recognition to national and international memorial venues.

What’s next: Parker said petitioners are waiting for a formal response from the Navy; the council received materials documenting the ceremony and plaque location.

Reporting is based on Ken Parker’s presentation to the Town Council at the Jan. 20 meeting.