Salute to Service Reunion Celebration: 35 Years Beyond Operation Desert Storm
The Virginia War Memorial Foundation is proud to announce the Salute to Service Reunion Celebration program.
The Virginia War Memorial Foundation and the Virginia War Memorial invite Virginia veterans, their immediate family members, and those who directly supported the Operation Desert Storm conflict to join us on March 21, 2026. Salute to Service is a multi-year program dedicated to providing a venue and program reuniting Virginia veterans with their units and the American conflicts in which they served.
Priority Registration is now open for Virginia Veterans of Operation Desert Shield and and Operation Desert Storm, as well as those who directly supported these conflicts. Beginning in February, registration will open for Veteran Supporters, Military Members, and Virginia War Memorial Foundation Friends, allowing us to prioritize the participation and engagement of Virginia Veterans of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
The program will consist of speakers, moderated discussions, musical performances, and documentaries, providing rich context and a broad perspective of what Virginia veterans experienced in their campaigns and the people with whom they served. A wreath-laying ceremony and free time on the Virginia War Memorial’s grounds, located at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond, Virginia, will also allow veterans to remember and honor those who did not return. The shared history of veterans, and the public’s understanding of it, will be enhanced through individual oral histories, photographs, and artifacts.
If you have already submitted a Request for Invitation, you will receive instructions via the email you provided.
We look forward to honoring your service and the sacrifices made by Virginia’s veterans and their families.
PRESS RELEASE:
January 19, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Anne Wilson
Director of Marketing & Communications
804.786.2074 (awilson@vawarmemorial.org)
Virginia War Memorial Foundation Invites Virginia Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm Veterans to Free Salute to Service Reunion Celebration
Richmond, VA – The Virginia War Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the free, inaugural Salute to Service Reunion Celebration, a program dedicated to remembrance, honor, and reconnection for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm veterans. Registration opens in recognition of January 17, 1991, the date marking the beginning of the combat phase of Operation Desert Storm, highlighting the historical significance and shared legacy of service and sacrifice associated with this conflict. The event will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia.
This reunion will provide veterans with a unique opportunity to reconnect with their peers, reflect on their shared experiences, and honor the sacrifices they made in an environment of camaraderie and support. Throughout the day, the veterans and their families will come together for a meaningful program of reflection and celebration, featuring inspiring speakers, moderated discussions, and musical performances.
During the Salute to Service Reunion Celebration, attendees will experience a thoughtful program that includes:
- National Anthem and Presentation of Colors
- Premiere of Virginians at War documentary, Decisive Victory: Operation Desert Storm, produced in partnership with Blue Ridge PBS, features interviews with Desert Storm veterans and their families, and discusses the invasion of Kuwait, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and the lasting impact on the American public. The names and lives of the seven Virginia service members who were killed in action will be featured prominently.
- Operation Desert Storm: 35th Anniversary – In Perspective Panel Discussion with General James Henry Binford “Binnie” Peay III, USA (Ret.); General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant General Robert B. Flowers, USA (Ret.); and Major General Michelle Rose, USA (Ret.), moderated by Colonel Michael S. Bell, PhD, USA (Ret.), Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
- Unit Rally Points, Oral History Collection, and Tours with Virginia War Memorial docents
- Musical Performances by the West Point Alumni Glee Club
- Wreath Laying Ceremony Honoring the Seven Virginians Killed in Action
“As a fellow veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm, it is my honor to invite you to a day of celebration and remembrance at the Virginia War Memorial,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joseph C. Barto, III, USA (Ret.), Chair of the Salute to Service Program Committee. “The Salute to Service Reunion Celebration is designed as a tribute to your service and as an opportunity for those who served together to reunite in shared reflection and respect.”
The Virginia War Memorial, located at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond, offers veterans and their families a peaceful space for reflection and remembrance. This inaugural 2026 reunion marks the first-of-its-kind veteran reunion at the Virginia War Memorial and launches a new series of gatherings, with future reunions planned for veterans of the Vietnam War (2027), the Global War on Terrorism (2028), and the Cold War – Fall of the Berlin Wall (2029).
Veterans wishing to attend the 2026 Salute to Service Reunion Celebration are invited to register by visiting www.vawarmemorial.org/salutetoservice. Special requests and questions can be submitted by contacting the Virginia War Memorial Foundation at salutetoservice@vawarmemorial.org.
About the Virginia War Memorial Foundation
The Virginia War Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides private support to the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s memorial to those who made the ultimate sacrifice from World War II to the present. This remarkable public/private partnership has provided funds for the documentary films, educational programs, exhibitions, teacher institutes, and veterans outreach which have positioned the Virginia War Memorial to be the premier state war memorial in the nation. The Virginia War Memorial Foundation’s mission is to support the Virginia War Memorial in its efforts to preserve the stories of veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, to honor all veterans and active-duty military, and to inspire love of country through education. For more information, visit www.vawarmemorial.org.
