Virginia War Memorial hosting Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11

The 65^th annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony will be held Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond in honor of Virginia’s more than 700,000 Veterans and their families. The Honorable Kathleen Jabs, Virginia’s Acting Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, will serve as the keynote speaker.

The ceremony will be held outdoors in the Memorial’s E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater at 11 a.m. EST. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held indoors in Veterans Hall in the Memorial’s C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion and seating will be limited.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Those attending the Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony should arrive at 10:30 a.m. to be seated. There is no charge to attend the ceremony or to visit the Memorial.

Patriotic music will be provided by the 380^th Army Band, the Benedictine College Preparatory Chorus, and the bagpipes of the combined clans of Benedictine and St. Andrew’s Legion. The program will also include recognition of the winners of the Virginia War Memorial’s 2021 Veterans Day Student Essay Contest.

The Memorial’s newest major exhibit, “Who They Were: Lives Worth Remembering” will open to the public following the conclusion of the Veterans Day Ceremony.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on WTVR-TV CBS6.1 and CBS6.3 in Richmond.  It will also be livestreamed on the Facebook page of the Virginia War Memorial, the Facebook pages of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, WTVR CBS6, (Richmond) WTKR News Channel 3 (Norfolk) and other select social media channels.

“Veterans Day is a very special day of celebration here in the Commonwealth and especially here at the Virginia War Memorial,” said Dr. Clay Mountcastle, the Memorial’s Director. “As our Shrines of Memory, historical exhibits and documentary films showcase, Virginians have proudly and unselfishly answered the call to defend and protect our state and our nation for over 250 years. Veterans Days gives all of us the opportunity to remember, honor and thank these men and women for their service and sacrifice.”

“This year’s ceremony is our first opportunity to invite the public to commemorate Veterans Day in person at the Virginia War Memorial since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” noted John Maxwell, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. “We are grateful that we can gather together to honor Virginia’s veterans and their service to our Nation.”

The Virginia War Memorial will be open to the public on November 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the ceremony and for regular visitation. Facemasks are encouraged for non-vaccinated visitors, as is social distancing.  There are no limits for the number attendees at the outdoor ceremony or on the Memorial grounds this year. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov or call 804.786.2060 during regular business hours.

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, the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, 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 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. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.

About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) is a state government agency with more than 40 locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VDVS traces its history to 1928 and the establishment of the Virginia War Service Bureau to assist Virginia’s World War I veterans. Today, VDVS 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 two 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.