Courage. Bravery. Selflessness. We use those words often here at the Virginia War Memorial. Patriotism and sacrifice are commonly mentioned as well. All of these words, and several more, are needed to effectively describe the nearly twelve thousand stories represented by names etched into the walls of the Shrine of …
Continue ReadingToday, August 7th, is Purple Heart Day, a day to pause and remember those wounded or killed while serving in the United States military. This distinctive military decoration has been awarded in the name of the president since 1931, and retroactively since April 5, 1917. It is the oldest American …
Continue ReadingEarlier this week, the Virginia War Memorial was mentioned in an opinion piece by Robin Beres of the Richmond Times Dispatch. Below is Beres editorial, highlighting the USS Indianapolis and their Congressional Gold Medal. Editorial: USS Indianapolis crew awarded Congressional Gold Medal August 6, 2020 Amid all the displays of …
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This year, as the United States of America approaches its 244th birthday, our 4th of July celebrations will be less conventional than in past years. Mine certainly will. Instead of going to a pool party, cheering on the Flying Squirrels, and watching Richmond’s fireworks from the rooftop of my apartment …
Continue ReadingIn these extraordinary times, people are looking for distractions, for a way to spend their time. For many, this includes a way to put the challenges of today into the proper perspective. Books are a tremendous resource for all these intentions. Books inform, they entertain, they provide an escape. A …
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As we move into summer, we thought it would be a good time to revisit this opinion piece, written by one of our Board of Directors. In his recollections Michael Santoro reminds us that at the Virginia War Memorial, every day is “Memorial Day.” The grounds of the Memorial and …
Continue ReadingIn these extraordinary times, people are looking for distractions, for a way to spend their time. For many, this includes a way to put the challenges of today into the proper perspective. Books are a tremendous resource for all these intentions. Books inform, they entertain, they provide an escape. A …
Continue ReadingThe Virginia War Memorial Foundation would like to thank all those who participated in and covered the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Annual Memorial Day Ceremony. More Memorial Day Coverage: CBS6 Livestream: Virginia War Memorial’s Memorial Day Ceremony Richmond Times Dispatch: Photos: Memorial Day at the Virginia War Memorial Style Weekly: The …
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A message was delivered to my barracks room in late February of 1993. It said simply “call home.” As I made my way down to the payphones in the concourse, where all VMI cadets had to go to make a call, I wondered what the news would be. Perhaps my …
Continue ReadingYes, adversity reveals character. Adversity also reveals ingenuity and talent. Consider the distillers and brewers across the country that quickly pivoted to using alcohol supplies to produce hand sanitizer in response to shortages caused by the corona virus pandemic. Here in Virginia the call for hand sanitizer was answered for …
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