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Virginia War Memorial Presenting Two Special Programs Honoring African American Veterans During February

The Virginia War Memorial 2018 Black History Month Series will present two special programs honoring the contributions of African American military veterans during February.

Both programs will be presented in the Memorial’s Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center, 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

On Thursday, February 8 at 6 p.m., Dr. Clay Mountcastle, noted military historian and director of the Virginia War Memorial will present “Hellfighters & Sons of Freedom: African Americans in World War I.” Dr. Mountcastle will discuss the important roles that African American soldiers played in The Great War and the lasting impact their participation had on the shaping of the U.S. Military.

On Saturday, February 17 at 2 p.m., the Memorial will present “Our Fathers’ Fight for Freedom.”  The program will include personal stories told by the sons of World War II veterans, the late Howard Baugh, Sr., one of the original Tuskegee Airmen who flew 135 combat missions in Europe, and the late George Bland, who was serving on the USS West Virginia and injured during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

For more information about the 2018 Black History Month Series at the Virginia War Memorial, please call 804.786.2060 or visit www.dvs.virginia.gov or www.vawarmemorial.org.

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 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. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.facebook/virginiawarmemorial.

 About VDVS

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) operates 30 benefit offices throughout the state that assist military veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; two long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; and three cemeteries that provide an honored final resting place for veterans and their families. VDVS provides veterans and family members with direct linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs.  The Department also operates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s monument to honor the memory and sacrifice of Virginia’s men and women who served and fought to defend our way of life from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.