Remembrance Ceremony To Honor U.S. Special Operations Troops To Be Presented August 6 at Virginia War Memorial
(Richmond, Va.) America’s Special Operations Troops will be honored with a Special Remembrance Ceremony at 12 noon, Saturday, August 6 at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
According to Dr. Clay Mountcastle, the Virginia War Memorial’s director, “The date of this ceremony was chosen to commemorate the five year anniversary of the loss of an American CH-47 helicopter shot down over Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. The aircraft carried a Naval Special Warfare team based out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story, Virginia.”
“All thirty-eight troops aboard – most of them U.S. Navy SEALS – perished. It was the largest single loss of American lives in the ongoing Afghanistan conflict,” Mountcastle said. “We want to honor not only these brave men but also the service and sacrifice of all U.S. Special Operations troops from every military branch.”
Photos of twenty of those Navy SEALS who died in 2011 are displayed on the Wall of Honor in the Galanti Education Center at the Virginia War Memorial. The one-hour ceremony will include words of remembrance, music and the presentation of a memorial wreath.
For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or call 804.786.2060
About the Virginia War Memorial
The mission of the Virginia War Memorial is to Honor Veterans, Preserve History, Educate Youth and Instill Patriotism in All. Dedicated in 1956, the Memorial includes the names of the nearly 12,000 Virginia heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the Global War on Terrorism. The Virginia War Memorial is a division of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and serves as an integral part of its mission in support of all Virginians who served in our military.
The Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond and is open to the public seven days a week. For more details and a complete event schedule, call 804.786.2060 or go to www.vawarmemorial.org or facebook.com/virginiawarmemorial.
About the Virginia War Memorial Foundation
Founded in 2000, The Virginia War Memorial Foundation (VWMF) is the non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation dedicated to the financial support of all of the educational outreach, patriotic programs, historical exhibits and documentary films of the Virginia War Memorial. Donations to the Foundation from individuals, corporations, military and veterans groups and other organizations may be tax-deductible and are encouraged and appreciated. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or Facebook/virginiawarmemorialfoundation.