Original Item: Only One Available. This is a striking framed limited-edition print of “The Stonewall Brigade” by military artist Larry Selman, personally signed by six veterans of the U.S. Army’s 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, all of whom participated in the Normandy invasion on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The print is individually numbered: 168/350

It is accompanied by its original Certificate of Authenticity, which is correctly numbered to match the print.

The six veteran signatures appearing along the lower portion of the print are those of:

Robert Slaughter
Roy Stevens
Orville Smith
Robert Sale
Clarence Keller
Eugene Cogan

The 116th Infantry Regiment traced its lineage to Virginia units associated with the famed Civil War-era Stonewall Brigade. During WWII, the regiment served as part of the 29th Infantry Division and was selected for one of the most difficult assignments of the Normandy invasion.

On the morning of June 6, 1944, elements of the 116th Infantry Regiment came ashore on Omaha Beach, where they encountered devastating German defensive fire, rough seas, beach obstacles, mines, and artillery. Companies of the regiment suffered catastrophic casualties during the opening waves, particularly among the men from Bedford, Virginia, whose losses became one of the best-known stories of D-Day.

Despite the appalling casualties, surviving elements of the regiment continued inland and helped establish the Allied foothold in Normandy.

Robert Slaughter

Staff Sergeant Robert Slaughter was a native of Roanoke, Virginia, and enlisted in the Virginia National Guard while still a teenager. He served with Company D, 116th Infantry Regiment, and was also an original member of the 29th Ranger Battalion, an experimental unit formed in Britain in 1942 using volunteers from the 29th Infantry Division.

After the 29th Rangers were disbanded in 1943, Slaughter returned to the 116th Infantry. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day with Company D and survived both the invasion and the subsequent fighting in Europe.

Slaughter received two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars during his military service. After the war, he became one of the driving forces behind the creation of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, helping preserve the memory of the men who fought and died during the Normandy invasion.

Roy Stevens

Roy Stevens, of Bedford, Virginia, joined the Virginia National Guard in 1939 along with his twin brother, Ray Stevens. Both served with Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment.

Roy survived the D-Day landing, but his twin brother Ray was killed during the fighting on Omaha Beach. Roy continued serving with the 29th Infantry Division until June 30, 1944, when he was severely wounded and subsequently returned to the United States.

The story of the Stevens brothers became part of the larger tragedy suffered by Bedford’s servicemen on D-Day.

Orville Smith

Sergeant Orville Smith, a native of Frederick, Maryland, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and served as a combat aid man assigned to the 116th Infantry Regiment.

Smith landed during the Normandy invasion and remained with the regiment through the end of the war.

According to the biographical account accompanying this print, during one period of German artillery fire Smith shared a foxhole with General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Years later, Smith reportedly encountered Eisenhower again after the war while the former Supreme Allied Commander was serving as President of the United States.

Robert Sale

Robert Sale, a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, enlisted in the Virginia National Guard at only 15 years of age. He served with Company B, 116th Infantry Regiment, and, like Robert Slaughter, was an original member of the 29th Ranger Battalion.

Following the disbandment of the Rangers, he returned to the 116th Infantry and landed on D-Day with Company B.

According to the supplied history, Sale was the sole survivor of his approximately 30-man boat team during the Omaha Beach landing. He went ashore as a Private First Class and was promoted to Staff Sergeant within approximately ten days.

He continued fighting until being wounded in November 1944 and subsequently spent approximately 18 months in military hospitals. His decorations included the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.

Clarence Keller

Clarence Keller, a lifelong resident of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942.

Following basic training, he was sent to England and assigned to Company B, 116th Infantry Regiment in 1943. He subsequently trained extensively in preparation for the Normandy invasion.

Keller landed with the regiment on D-Day and continued serving with the 29th Infantry Division until he was severely wounded in France during 1944. He was discharged from the Army in 1946.

Eugene Cogan

Eugene Cogan was born December 7, 1922, in Kendallville, Indiana, to Edward and Martha Culver Cogan. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII and was among the American troops who landed in Normandy.

Following the war, Cogan pursued a career in education and served for many years as an educator and principal. He later entered public service and served as a State Representative in the Indiana General Assembly during 1965 and 1966.

The print itself remains in excellent condition and presents very clearly beneath the glazing. The frame is well constructed and retains its hanging wire. It is fitted with plexiglass rather than conventional glass.

There is one condition issue with the framing: the print and backing have begun to settle slightly within the frame, causing the plexiglass to project outward somewhat along the upper edge. The artwork itself remains in excellent condition, but the framing would benefit from adjustment or resetting.

The combination of Larry Selman’s dramatic artwork, the very limited edition of only 350 examples, the matching Certificate of Authenticity, and the signatures of six veterans of the 116th Infantry Regiment who participated in the Normandy invasion makes this an especially meaningful piece of D-Day memorabilia.

Dimensions:

Framed Size: Approximately 23 3/4 x 35 1/4 inches
Edition: 168 of 350
Artist: Larry Selman
Title: The Stonewall Brigade
Signatures: Six 116th Infantry Regiment D-Day Veterans
Certificate of Authenticity: Included and matching numbered print