Virginia’s Fallen Heroes To Be Honored At The Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony At The Virginia War Memorial
Public Invited To Attend 60th Annual Event on Monday, May 30 in Richmond
The 60th Annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony will be held Monday, May 30 at 10 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
Speakers will include Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John C. Harvey, Jr. and James E. Chapman, Commander, Department of Virginia, American Legion.
The ceremony, co-hosted with the American Legion District 11, takes place in the E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater and the Shrine of Memory on the War Memorial grounds.
The public is encouraged to attend to honor and remember family, friends and fellow citizens who have given the ultimate sacrifice in military service to our Nation. This event marks the 60th annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Ceremony held at the Virginia War Memorial which was officially dedicated on February 29, 1956.
Also participating in the program will be Delegate John M. Bannon III, chair of the Virginia War Memorial Board, Terry Kris Brentlinger, Commander, American Legion, District 11, and Virginia War Memorial Executive Director Jon Hatfield.
Music will be provided by the 392nd Army Band, Fort Lee and the St. Andrew’s Legion Pipes and Drums. The National Anthem will be sung by Bethany Gates.
The ceremony will conclude in the War Memorial’s Shrine of Memory with the presentation of over 40 memorial wreathes, a rifle salute by the James S. Slay Detachment, #329 Marine
Corps League and the playing of Echo TAPS by John Blair and Dr. Tommy South of Bugles Across America.
The Virginia War Memorial, located at 621 South Belvidere Street, will be open extended hours from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Memorial Day. Admission is free. Limited parking is available in the Memorial lot, in the VHDA lot and deck next door, and in the Afton Chemical Corporation lot on Spring Street between and Belvidere and 1st Streets.
The public is also invited to enjoy a free concert of patriotic music performed by the Thomas Jefferson High School Corps of Cadets Alumni Band at 2 p.m. and to tour the exhibits and experience the films shown in the Memorial’s Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center all day.
For more information, please call 804.786.2060 or visit www.vawarmemorial.org .
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 forces.
Situated on over four acres overlooking downtown Richmond and the James River at 621 South Belvidere St., the Virginia War Memorial also includes the Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center, which houses military-related exhibits, programs and theaters showing the award-winning Virginians At War documentary series and the multi-dimensional film, Into Battle. Details at www.vawarmemorial.org.
About the American Legion, Department of Virginia
The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual help and community service organization. It has a worldwide membership of 2.8 million. The Department of Virginia is comprised of 222 posts divided in 17 districts with over 59,000 members across the Commonwealth. The Department Headquarters is located in Richmond. For more info, go to www.valegion.org.
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 or to donate online, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or Facebook/virginiawarmemorialfoundation.