Virginia War Memorial Seeks Entries for 2024 Veterans Day Student Essay Contest

The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond is seeking entries for its Virginia War Memorial 2024 Veterans Day Student Essay Contest. The annual competition is open to all Virginia middle and high school age public, private, and homeschooled students. One winner will be selected from among all middle school entries (grades 6-8) and one from high school entries (grades 9-12).

The essay topic for the 2024 competition is “A Virginian Who Served in The Military who Inspires Me.” Students may consider a member of their family, of their community, or any Virginian who served in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, anywhere in the world, from World War II to present day as their subject.

The two students who write the winning essays will each receive a prize package courtesy of McDonald’s Restaurants of Richmond and Hampton Roads and the nonprofit Virginia War Memorial Foundation. The student winners will also be invited to come to Richmond to read aloud their essays and participate in the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond on Monday, November 11, 2024.

Essays should be 500-750 words in length and utilize interviews and primary sources whenever possible.  Students are encouraged to contact Sylvia Marshall, Virginia War Memorial Archivist (Sylvia.Marshall@dvs.virginia.gov) for additional resources regarding Virginia military veterans if they wish. Entries will be judged on clarity of thought, adherence to the contest theme and guidelines, proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  Detailed information regarding rules, guidelines and how to enter are available online.

All entries must be submitted to the Virginia War Memorial website by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, October 20, 2024.  For additional information or questions, please contact Elizabeth Oglesby, the Memorial’s Education Outreach & Programs Manager, at Elizabeth.Oglesby@dvs.virginia.gov or by calling 804-786-9700.

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 (DVS)

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with more than 50 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 health, housing, employment, education, and other programs. The agency operates long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, dementia/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.