Virginia War Memorial Hosting National Vietnam War Veterans Day Open House Friday, March 29, Public Invited To Honor & Recognize All Virginians Who Served In US Armed Forces During Vietnam War Era
Friday, March 29, 2024 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day and the Virginia War Memorial will hold a special Open House from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to honor and recognize the service and sacrifice of Virginia’s Vietnam-era military veterans.
The Open House will include the opportunity to visit the “50 Years Beyond: The Vietnam Veteran Experience” exhibit, which will close on April 11, 2024. There will be continuous showing of the Memorial’s award-winning “Virginians At War” documentary films about the Vietnam War in the Reynolds Theater and docent-led tours of the inspiring Shrine of Memory – 20th Century where the panels listing the Virginia men and women killed in action during the Vietnam War are engraved.
Special 50th Anniversary Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins will be presented to all Vietnam veterans who have not yet received one. All veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces at any time between November 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975, anywhere in the world, are eligible to receive one Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin.
This is the seventh consecutive year that the Commonwealth and the Virginia War Memorial will commemorate National Vietnam War Veteran Day. Admission and parking are free at the Memorial and the public is invited and encouraged to attend the Open House event. The Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220.
“Virginia is proudly home to nearly 700,000 military veterans – one of the largest numbers of veterans per population size of any state – and of these, more than 200,000 served during the Vietnam War era,” said Chuck Zingler, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS). “More than 1,300 Virginians gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving and another 46 remain classified as Missing in Action (MIA). Nine Virginians received the Nation’s highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for their heroic actions serving in the Vietnam War.”
“It is especially important that all Virginians join together to take time on National Vietnam Veterans Day to thank our fellow citizens, neighbors and family members who answered the call to serve our Nation and too often never received the thanks and appreciation they deserved when they returned home,” Commissioner Zingler added.
For more information about the National Vietnam War Veterans Day Open House and other events at the Virginia War Memorial, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org, www.dvs.virginia.gov 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 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
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with 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 healthcare, housing, employment, education, and other programs. The agency operates three long-term care
facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/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.