Virginia War Memorial To Host 3rd Annual Virginia’s Patriot Day Ceremony Event to Remember Victims of 9/11/01 Terrorist Attacks And Honor Military and First Responders
The 3rd Annual Virginia’s Patriot Day Ceremony will be held Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 2 p.m.in the E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater 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 members of the military, law enforcement agencies, firefighters and other first responders who answered the call to duty on that day. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Keynote speaker will be Richmond resident Mary Ann Wilson, who was an eyewitness to the attacks on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City from her office in the Federal Building a few blocks away.
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 solemn flag retirement ceremony conducted by sailors of the Navy’s Recruiting District and patriotic music. The National Anthem will be sung by Lieutenant Faith Flippo of the Richmond Police Department.
“It has been fifteen years since almost 3000 Americans died in the terrorist attacks on our soil. Of those, 115 were Virginians” said Dr. Clay Mountcastle, director of the Virginia War Memorial. “It is fitting that we come together and remember those men, women and children who perished on 9/11/01 and honor the service of our military and first responders who worked tirelessly to save lives and get the country back on its feet.”
“We invite everyone to join us at our ceremony and to also view our newest exhibit – a piece of the west wall of the Pentagon that was destroyed when the terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the building,” Mountcastle added.
The exhibit is on display in the Memorial’s Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center. The Memorial will be open from 12 noon-4 p.m. on September 11.
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 3rd Annual Patriot Day Ceremony, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org , Facebook/virginiawarmemorial 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
Founded in 2000, The Virginia War Memorial Foundation (VWMF) is the non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation dedicated to the financial support of all of the educational outreach, patriotic programs, historical exhibits and documentary films of the Virginia War Memorial. Donations to the Foundation from individuals, corporations, military and veterans groups and other organizations may be tax-deductible and are encouraged and appreciated. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or Facebook/virginiawarmemorialfoundation.