Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony to be held at Virginia War Memorial on November 11

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam will deliver the keynote address at the Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony, Monday, November 11, 2019 at 10:45 a.m. EST at the Virginia War Memorial at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond.

This will be the 63rd annual ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial honoring Virginia’s men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The ceremony will be held in the Memorial’s E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater. The event is free of charge and the public is encouraged to attend.

“One in every twelve Virginians is a veteran,” said Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Virginia War Memorial Director. “As our exhibits here at the Memorial showcase, Virginians have proudly answered the call to duty to defend and protect our nation and our commonwealth in peacetime and in war for over 400 years. Veterans Day gives all of us the opportunity to thank them for their service and sacrifice.”

Governor Northam will be introduced by Virginia Secretary of Veteran and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins. The program will also include the winners of the Virginia War Memorial’s Veterans Day Student Essay Contest in the middle and high school age categories who will share their compositions.

Patriotic music will be provided by the U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Band from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Additional music during and after the conclusion of the formal ceremony will feature the bagpipes and drums of the Combined Bands of Clan MacLeod and Benedictine College Preparatory of St. Andrew’s Legion.

The Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony will be held rain or shine. The Virginia War Memorial’s Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center will be open for tours from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. on November 11.

Due to expansion construction at the Memorial, there will be no onsite parking. Free parking will be available in the VHDA surface lot at 601 South Belvidere Street and in the VHDA parking deck which is accessible from 2^nd Street. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org, www.dvs.virginia.gov, 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 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 Memorial is currently undergoing a $28 million expansion project. 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. For more details, visit www.virginiawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov .

About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services

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