Virginia War Memorial To Host 74th Commonwealth’s Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony
Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John C. Harvey will be the keynote speaker at the 74th Commonwealth’s Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony, Monday, December 7, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
Co-hosted by the Richmond Council, Navy League of the United States, the annual ceremony will be held in the Shrine of Memory on the grounds of the War Memorial at 621 South Belvidere Street. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
Secretary John C. Harvey retired with the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy in 2012 after 39 years of service as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer. Immediately prior to his retirement from active duty, Secretary Harvey served as Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces in Norfolk. He was appointed Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs by Governor Terry McAuliffe in January 2014. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
The Commonwealth’s Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony will also include the laying of wreathes in memory of those Virginians who died on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 when the forces of Imperial Japan bombed and strafed the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Army airfield at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
“The names of each Virginian who perished at Pearl Harbor will be read and remembered with the tolling of the ship’s bell from the USS Virginia, which is on permanent display at the Virginia War Memorial,” said Tom Hassell, President of the Navy League’s Richmond Council.
“We are again hoping that two or three actual Pearl Harbor survivors we have invited will attend to be honored this year,” Hassell noted. “Unfortunately, many of these heroes have passed on and some are simply too infirm to participate. It is up to all of us to assure than none who survived or died is ever forgotten.”
More than 2,400 Americans were killed and more than 1,100 wounded during the surprise attack which resulted in the United States declaring war on the Japanese Empire and entering World War II.
Corporate sponsor for the 74th Commonwealth’s Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony is Kelleher Corporation of Richmond. For more information, please call the Virginia War Memorial at 804.786.2060 or visit www.vawarmemorial.org .
About The Navy League of the United States
The Navy League of the United States (NLUS) was founded in 1902 with the encouragement of President Theodore Roosevelt. The League has grown in the foremost citizen’s organization to serve, support and stand with all sea services – U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. For more information on the Richmond Council of the Navy League of the United States, visit www.navyleague-richmond.com .
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.
Situated on over four acres at 621 South Belvidere Street in downtown Richmond, the Virginia War Memorial and its Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center are open for tours Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, 12 noon-4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.facebook/virginiawarmemorial.
About the Virginia War Memorial Foundation
Created in 1999, the Virginia War Memorial Foundation (VWMF) is the non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation dedicated to the sole financial support of the educational outreach, historical exhibits, documentary films and patriotic programs of the Virginia War Memorial. Donations to the Foundation from individuals, corporations, military and veterans groups, and organizations are tax-deductible. For more information, call 804.786.2060 or go to www.vawarmemorial.org and click on “Get Involved.”