Virginia Department of Veterans Services To Host Four Memorial Day Ceremonies Across Commonwealth on Monday, May 27 Ceremonies Scheduled at Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, And at State Veterans Cemeteries in Amelia, Dublin, and Suffolk
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services will host Memorial Day ceremonies at four locations across the Commonwealth on Monday, May 27, 2019, to honor the brave men and women who died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Admission is free to all of these ceremonies and the public is encouraged to attend.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam will be the keynote speaker at the 63rd annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial, 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond. The program, co-hosted by American Legion Department of Virginia’s 11th District, will feature a rifle salute, the playing of Taps, the placing of memorial wreaths, and music by the Benedictine High School Chorus and the Combined Bands of Clan McLeod & Benedictine of St. Andrews Legion.
The Virginia War Memorial ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., but attendees are encouraged to arrive 30-60 minutes early to allow plenty of time to park and find a seat. Because of the construction expansion project, parking is not available at the Memorial, but will be available at the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) parking lot at 601 S. Belvidere St, Richmond, and at the Afton Chemical Corporation parking lot at 500 Spring St, Richmond. Members of the Virginia Defense Force will be on hand to assist with parking and directions.
There will also be a free concert of patriotic music performed by the Thomas Jefferson Cadet Corps Alumni Band and Friends at 2 p.m. in the Shrine of Memory. The Memorial’s Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center will be open with extended hours for tours and visitation from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more details, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov/virginia-war-memorial.
Virginia’s three State Veterans Cemeteries – in Amelia, Dublin and Suffolk – will hold Memorial Day Ceremonies on Monday, May 27. An Avenue of Flags will placed at the cemetery entrance and all burial sites will be graced with an American flag. Each ceremony will include special musical tributes to the fallen, the playing of Taps, a rifle salute, and the placing of memorial wreaths to honor those who gave their lives in service to the nation. Cemetery offices will be open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. to assist visitors with gravesite location, general information, and the completion of cemetery pre-application forms for interested qualified veterans and family members.
Information, including the address of each cemetery and the time for each Memorial Day Ceremony is listed below. For driving directions and other details, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov/cemeteries.
Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia
Memorial Day Ceremony – 10 a.m. E.D.T.
10300 Pridesville Road
Amelia, VA 23002
804.561.1475
Keynote Speaker: Virginia Senator Amanda Chase (Senate District 11)
Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery
Memorial Day Ceremony- 9:30 a.m. E.D.T.
5550 Bagging Plant Road
Dublin. VA 24084
804.674.6983
Keynote Speaker: Virginia Delegate Nick Rush (House District 7)
Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery
Memorial Day Ceremony – 10 a.m. E.D.T.
5310 Milners Road
Suffolk, VA 23434
757.255.7217
Keynote Speaker: Colonel Dale E. Hruby, US Army (Ret.)
Co-hosted by American Legion, Post 88
About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with more than 40 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 healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs. The agency operates two long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries. It also oversees 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.