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

The 66^th annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony will be held Friday, November 11, 2022 at 11 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend to honor all who have served in America’s Armed Forces from the Revolutionary War to today.  Virginia is currently home to more than 690,000 military veterans and their families.

Virginia War Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the one-hour program, which will include addresses from Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw and Major General Timothy Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia.  Patriotic music will be provided by the Virginia National Guard’s 29^th Division Band.  There will be a special tribute to Virginia’s Blue Star families and the winners of the Memorial’s 2022 Veterans Day Student Essay Contest will be introduced and read their winning essays.

The ceremony will be held outdoors, rain or shine, so attendees should dress accordingly.  Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 10:30 a.m. to be seated.  There is no charge to attend the ceremony or visit the Virginia War Memorial and free parking is available. The Memorial grounds and exhibit halls will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for visitors.

The Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony will be broadcast live on WTVR CBS6.1 and 6.3 television in Richmond and livestreamed on the Facebook pages of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), the Virginia War Memorial, WTVR-TV and WTKR-TV (Norfolk) and other social media channels.

“Veterans Day is one of our most special commemorations here at the Virginia War Memorial where our mission is to honor and remember our veterans and their service and sacrifices every day of the year,” said Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle.  “We look forward to filling the E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater with veterans, their family members and all citizens.”

“For those that come, I encourage them to spend an hour here viewing the many exhibits and documentary films in the Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center and the C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion,” added Dr. Mountcastle.

The Virginia War Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, VA 23220. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov or telephone 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 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 (DVS) 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 and is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m.  Admission is free, except for select events.  For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.

About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with more than 40 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; 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.