Sailors, veterans, and townspeople alike gathered at the National D-Day Memorial May 18 to pay respect to the lives lost June 6, 1944 and to honor the legacy they left behind.

Rear Adm. Mark Fung, the deputy for Naval Construction Force, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, addressed those gathered in remembering the sacrifices of Navy Sailors that historic day.

"The valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the U.S. Navy on D-Day could be told through 176 different stories," said Fung, referencing the 176 Sailors who died. "It is important that we remember our heroes and pay past tribute to those in the Navy who have gone before us."

Following the ceremony, Sailors from USS John Warner (SSN 785) laid a wreath at the memorial in commemoration. The sound of Taps filled the air as the U.S. Fleet Forces Band rang out the 24 solemn notes that herald the bravery of those who paid the ultimate price for freedom.

"The seas were rough that day, and so was everything else," said Charles Shaeff, a retired Sailor who took part in the D-Day invasion at the age of 19. "There are so few of us [D-Day veterans] left, so it's good to see that we'll be remembered."

The National D-Day Memorial resides in Bedford, Virginia -- a community that suffered the highest per-capita loss of lives in the D-Day invasion. The Memorial honors the Allied forces that participated in the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 during World War II. The Memorial encompasses the names of the 4,413 Allied soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who died in the invasion and stands as a powerful, permanent tribute to the valor and sacrifice of the D-Day participants.

The ceremony was one of many events occurring during Navy Week Roanoke, yet it was one of the more poignant moments given its relation to both the upcoming Memorial Day and D-Day weekends.

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy's principal outreach effort in the areas of the country without a significant naval presence. More than 185 Navy Weeks have been held in 68 different U.S. cities.

Roanoke has not hosted a Navy Week since 2008. This year, the Navy has returned with a host of community outreach events throughout the week. Some of these include scheduled performances from the Blue Angels and the Leap Frogs -- due to take place during the Lynchburg Regional Airshow this weekend. Others include performances scheduled during the Salem Red Sox game this Friday, as well as various other appearances throughout the city this week.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy/, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy/.

For more information about Navy Week Roanoke, visit http://www.outreach.navy.mil/, or follow the hashtag #navyweek.