Virginia War Memorial To Host 5th Annual Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony, Ceremony to Honor & Remember All Who Perished During Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001
Melvin D. Carter, Chief of Fire and Emergency Services for the City of Richmond, will be the keynote speaker at the Commonwealth’s 5th Annual Patriot Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial on Tuesday, September 11 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
The ceremony will honor and remember those who perished during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington on September 11, 2001.
September 11 is officially acknowledged as Patriot Day – A National Day of Mourning and Remembrance as designated by the United States Congress.
The Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony will be held in the Heilman Amphitheater on the Memorial’s grounds at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
Keynote speaker Melvin Carter joined the Richmond Department of Fire in 1987. He rose through the ranks before being appointed the City’s 21st Chief of Fire and Emergency Services in June 2017. He is a Marine Corps veteran and currently serves in the Virginia National Guard.
In addition to Chief Carter, the ceremony will include patriotic music performed by the 380th Army Band Ensemble and soloist Bethany Gates. Bells will be rung in remembrance of all who died on September 11, 2001. Sailors from Navy Recruiting District, Richmond, will be onsite to assist as ushers and supervise traffic and parking.
“We are pleased to again host this ceremony to remember our fellow Americans, and especially our fellow Virginians, who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks,” said Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Virginia War Memorial Director. “We must never forget the sacrifice of these men and women. It is our hope that this solemn and inspiring ceremony will rekindle the love of country and patriotism in all those who attend.”
Parking is limited at the Virginia War Memorial during the current expansion construction. For the Patriot Day Ceremony, additional free parking will be available in the VHDA surface lot facing Belvidere Street and in the Afton Chemical Corporation lot at the corner of Belvidere and Spring Streets.
For more information about the 5th Annual Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org, www.dvs.virginia.gov or call 804. 796.2060.
About the Virginia War Memorial
The Virginia War Memorial’s mission is 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. The Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond. For more information and directions, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.org/virginia-war-memorial
About VDVS
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) operates 31 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