Virginia War Memorial Announces 2nd Annual Virginia Patriot Day Ceremony Event to Remember Victims of 9/11/01 Terrorist Attacks And Honor Military and First Responders
Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, will be the keynote speaker at the 2nd Annual Virginia’s Patriot Day Ceremony at 12 noon, Friday, September 11 at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
The ceremony, presented in cooperation with the U.S. Navy Recruiting District, Richmond, will remember those who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and honor the military, law enforcement, firefighters, and other first responders who answered the call to duty that day. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
September 11 was officially designated as Patriot Day – A National Day of Mourning and Remembrance – by the United States Congress on October 25, 2001. The one-hour program at the War Memorial will include a special flag ceremony conducted by sailors of the Navy’s Recruiting District, musical performances by the Virginia National Guard’s 29th Band and the “Rising Stars” Chorus from Henrico County’s Ward Elementary School.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Robert C. Weiderhold, Senior Hazardous Materials Officer of the F.B.I. Technical Hazards Response Unit, who was summoned to the Pentagon immediately after the attack on September 11, 2001.
“Almost 3000 Americans died in the unprovoked terrorist attacks on our soil fourteen years ago. Of those, 115 were our fellow Virginians,” said Jon Hatfield, Virginia War Memorial Executive Director. “There is no place more fitting to stand together and remember those men, women and even children who perished on 9/11/01 and to honor the service of our military and first responders than the hallowed grounds of the Virginia War Memorial.”
“We invite everyone to come join us to remember these lost lives and stand together to show our resolve against all enemies who seek to destroy our great Nation and the freedoms and ideas on which it was founded,” Hatfield added.
The Virginia War Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere Street in downtown Richmond. Admission and parking is free. For more information about Virginia’s Patriot Day Ceremony, please visit www.vawmemorial.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 forces.
About the Virginia War Memorial Foundation
Created in 1999, the Virginia War Memorial Foundation (VWMF) is the non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation dedicated to the sole financial support of the educational outreach, historical exhibits, documentary films and patriotic programs of the Virginia War Memorial. Donations to the Foundation from individuals, corporations, military and veterans groups, and organizations are tax-deductible. For more information, call 804.786.2060 or go to www.vawarmemorial.org and click on “Get Involved.”