The Virginia War Memorial will host the Commonwealth’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be followed with the ribbon cutting and public opening of the Memorial’s new exhibit: Virginia’s MIA: The Search Continues.
Members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend this ceremony and opening of the new exhibit.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is an annual observance held on the third Friday in September to honor and remember those American service members who were Prisoners of War (POW’s) and those who remain Missing in Action (MIA). More than 81,000 Americans are still listed as Missing in Action from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and other conflicts. Of these, nearly 1,300 Virginians are still MIA.
Invited guests at the Commonwealth’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony and exhibit opening will include family members of Virginia’s MIA, veterans, and other military and government officials.
“Recognizing our service members who were captured and held as POWs during wartime and the thousands more that never returned and are listed as MIA is one of the most important missions of the Virginia War Memorial and why we hold this ceremony each year,” said Dr. Mountcastle.
“We are especially proud to publicly open our new exhibit, Virginia’s MIA: The Search Continues this year to tell the story of many of our Virginia MIA and to highlight the continuing daily efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and other organizations to find the remains of these heroes around the globe and bring them home. It is their enduring promise to leave no American service member behind,” added Dr. Mountcastle.
Admission to the Commonwealth’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony is free. Free parking is also available in the Virginia War Memorial’s surface and underground lots at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond. The Memorial will be open for visitation on September 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ceremony attendees should arrive no later than 9:45 a.m. for parking and seating.
For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov.
About the Virginia War Memorial
The mission of the Virginia War Memorial is to Honor Veterans, Preserve History, Educate Youth, and Inspire 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 and will always be the Commonwealth’s tribute to those who served and most especially, to those who died defending our freedoms.
The Virginia War Memorial is a division of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and serves as an integral part of its mission in support of all Virginians who have served in our military. It is located at 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220 and is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free, except for select events. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.
About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS)
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with more than 50 locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia. DVS traces its history to 1928 and the establishment of the Virginia War Service Bureau to assist Virginia’s World War I veterans. Today, DVS assists veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral health, housing, employment, education, and other programs. The agency operates long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, dementia/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; and provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries. It operates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s tribute to Virginia’s men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.