Through the night of February 2, 1943, the S.S. Dorchester was traveling from New York to Great Britain. Once a luxury coastal liner, the 5,649-ton vessel had been converted into an Army transport ship, and was crowded to capacity, carrying 902 servicemen, merchant seamen, and civilian workers. That evening, the …
Continue ReadingOn Wednesday, December 15th, the Virginia War Memorial hosted a Key Exchange Ceremony in the Brice Heilman Amphitheater. The ceremony recognized the truck drivers delivering wreaths to more than 2,500 veteran cemeteries across the country, most notably Arlington National Cemetery, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day, taking place …
Continue ReadingIn a project done in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University, students helped gather information about the 1,303 Virginians listed on our Shrine of Memory. By Brian McNeill Originally published on VCU news. Walter “Butch” Boyd, a 19-year-old private first class in the U.S. Marine Corps from Norfolk, Virginia, was one of 26 …
Continue ReadingHello Virginia War Memorial community. My name is Ben King and I’m the Operations Director at the Virginia War Memorial. From time to time, I will be sharing stories that I hope will make you proud of Virginia and her veterans. This story starts in Southwest Virginia and includes veterans …
Continue ReadingAmong the Virginia War Memorial’s collections are hundreds of letters donated either to the war memorial itself or that historians on our staff have collected themselves over the years. Most of the time, these letters are discussions between service members and their loved ones about the more mundane aspects of …
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The Virginia War Memorial is proud to be one of the featured arts destinations in this year’s #ArtsHuntRVA, an interactive, free, family-friendly scavenger hunt that runs through October 2021. You are invited to download a list of arts organizations, go visit them, scan a QR code on the door sign …
Continue ReadingThis news story, written by Ali Rockett and featuring Virginia War Memorial Operations Director Ben King, was originally featured in the Richmond Times Dispatch on September 9, 2021 as part of a series of feature articles honoring the 20th anniversary of 9/11. When the twin towers fell. When the Pentagon …
Continue ReadingTwenty-five years after President Harry S. Truman ordered the desegregation of armed forces, Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. became the first Black rear admiral. This story is reprinted from Channel 13 News Now in Norfolk, VA. Author: Mike Gooding Published: June 1, 2021 NORFOLK, Va. — A true trailblazer in United …
Continue ReadingIf the Virginia War Memorial were only the beautiful Shrine that passersby see on their way back and forth over the James River by way of Belvidere, that would be enough to mark its place as one of the country’s most beautiful and inspirational state monuments to military service and …
Continue ReadingGovernor Ralph Northam proclaimed March 29, 2021 as Vietnam War Veterans Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia to honor and celebrate the thousands of Virginia men and women who served in our Nation’s Armed Forces during this war. This recognition coincides with the observance of National Vietnam War Veterans Day, …
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