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

The 64^th annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony honoring Virginia’s men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces will be held at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, 11 a.m. EST, Wednesday, November 11, 2020.

Due to current COVID-19 guidelines, attendance at the 2020 Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony is capped at 250 pre-registered guests.

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.

Virginia War Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the ceremony.  Scheduled speakers will be senior Virginia leadership, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos L. Hopkins and Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) Commissioner John Maxwell.

Patriotic music will be provided by the 380^th Army Reserve Band and the bagpipes and drums of the Combined Bands of Clan MacLeod and Benedictine College Preparatory of St. Andrew’s Legion. The program will also include recognition of winners of the Virginia War Memorial’s 2020 Veterans Day Student Essay Contest.

“One in every 12 Virginians is a veteran,” noted Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Virginia War Memorial Director. “As our Shrines of Memory, exhibits, and documentary films 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 250 years. Veterans Day gives all of us the opportunity to honor and thank these men and women for their service and sacrifice.”

“We regret that we must cap the number of attendees at the ceremony this year because of COVID-19 guidelines, but we encourage everyone to participate by viewing the event as we livestream and broadcast across the Commonwealth on November 11 at 11 a.m.,” said VDVS Commissioner John Maxwell.

For more information about the 2020 Commonwealth’s Veteran Day Ceremony, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov or call 804.786.2060.

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 and provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs. The agency operates two state veterans nursing homes, provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries, and operates the Virginia War Memorial. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.

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 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.

The Virginia War Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220.  The Memorial is open Monday through Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12 noon to 4 p.m.  Due to current COVID-19 guidelines, visitation to the Memorial’s Galanti Education Center and Wright Pavilion are limited to 50 guests at one time. Social distancing and facemasks are required. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.