Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins Will Deliver Keynote Address
Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins will deliver the keynote address at the 61st Annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m., Saturday, November 11, 2017 at the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater in Richmond’s Byrd Park, 600 South Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23220.
The ceremony will be presented by the Virginia War Memorial in partnership with the City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. The ceremony is free of charge and the public is encouraged to attend.
Joining Secretary Hopkins on the program will be United States Congressman A. Donald McEachin; Delegate Richard Anderson, Chairman, Virginia War Memorial Board; John L. Newby II, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Veterans Services; Dr. Frank Carr, American Legion Department of Virginia; and Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Director, Virginia War Memorial. Patriotic music will be provided by the 380th Army Band.
The two winners of the Virginia War Memorial’s annual Veterans Day Essay Contest for middle-school and high-school students will also be announced and will read their winning essays as part of the program.
“Honoring those men and women who have served our Commonwealth and our Nation in our military from the Revolution to today is one of the most important missions of the Virginia War Memorial,” said Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Virginia War Memorial Director. “We have commemorated Veterans Day at the Memorial every year for six decades.”
“With the Virginia War Memorial undergoing major construction for our expansion project, we are grateful to the City of Richmond for partnering with us to hold this year’s ceremony at Dogwood Dell in Byrd Park,” Mountcastle added.
The 61st Annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony will be held rain or shine. Attendees should be aware that there will selected street closings throughout Richmond on November 11 for the running of the Anthem Richmond Marathon. For more information on the ceremony and suggested routes to Byrd Park, please call 804-786-2060 or visit www.vawarmemorial.org.
______________________________________________________
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. Located at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond and dedicated in 1956, the Memorial includes the names of nearly 12,000 Virginia men and women 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 served or serve in our military forces. For more information, go to www.vawarmemorial.org.
About VDVS The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) operates 29 benefit offices throughout the state that assist military veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; two long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; and three cemeteries that provide an honored final resting place for veterans and their families. VDVS provides veterans and family members with direct linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs. The Department operates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s monument to honor the memory and sacrifice of Virginia’s men and women who served and fought to defend our way of life from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.
