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 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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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 …
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1990-1991. My freshman year (or Rat Year) at the Virginia Military Institute coincided with Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, commonly known as The Persian Gulf War. While my Brother Rats and I endured push-ups, buzz cuts, poor grades, and the never-ending need to shine shoes or clean our …
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A few years ago I wrote a blog post about my experiences with Desmond Doss, the Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. Recently, I have had a good reason to revisit that blog, most of which follows. I met Desmond, a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1994 when I worked at the …
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It is with deep sorrow that the Virginia War Memorial family mourns the passing of longtime volunteer and World War II veteran Russell Scott. Mr. Scott passed away on November 19, 2019 at the age of 99. Mr. Scott had most recently attended the 2019 Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony at …
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Andy Dee Anderson always knew he wanted to serve his country. Growing up in Falls Church, Virginia, Andy enjoyed school and athletics. He played football and basketball for JEB Stuart High School and is remembered as a great teammate who made sure everyone had a ride home after practice or …
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