Virginia War Memorial to lead Commonwealth’s Sept. 11 tribute at 11 a.m.

The Virginia War Memorial will host the Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony, on Wednesday, Sept, 11, 2024 at 11 a.m. in the Shrine of Memory – Global War on Terrorism and Beyond.

This annual ceremony will officially commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Northern Virginia and the downing of the jet aircraft in Shanksville, Pennsylvania that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.

That was the first enemy attack on American soil since the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. September 11 has been designated each year as Patriot Day, a National Day of Mourning, by Congress to honor and remember the 2,997 men and women who died and the 6,000+ who were injured on that day.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Lynn Wright, former Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence and now a private consultant and advisory board member for a variety of academic and security technology firms. She was previously the CEO for Naval Intelligence Professionals, a nonprofit established to advance Naval Intelligence skills and capabilities. A graduate of Old Dominion University, George Mason University, and the National Defense University, Wright is an advisory member of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute.

Ms. Wright was an eyewitness to the attack on the Pentagon and saw first-hand the terrible consequences when the jet aircraft hit including the deaths of those with whom she worked,” said said Virginia War Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle.

“As Americans and as Virginians, we must never forget our fellow citizens who died on that infamous day 23 years ago. And there is no more fitting place in the Commonwealth to honor them than here on the hallowed grounds of the Virginia War Memorial. We invite all Virginians and their families and friends to join us for this solemn and inspiring patriotic event,” said Dr. Mountcastle. 

Members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the ceremony.  Attendees are asked to please arrive early so as to be in place for the 11 a.m. start time.  Beginning at 10:40 a.m., the Virginia Barbershop Chorus will provide a selection of patriotic music. The ceremony will include the placement of wreaths in memory of those who lost their lives during the 2001 attacks.  Representatives of the Freedom Flag Foundation, the Richmond-based nonprofit organization dedicated to remembering the events of 9/11, will also participate.

For more information on the 2024 Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony, please visit http://www.dvs.virginia.gov or call 804.786.2060.

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.  Dedicated in 1956, the Memorial includes the names of the nearly 12,000 Virginia heroes 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 and will always be the Commonwealth’s tribute to those who served and most especially, to those who died defending our freedoms.

The Virginia War Memorial is a division of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and serves as an integral part of its mission in support of all Virginians who have served in our military.  It is located at 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, VA 23220 and is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m.  Admission is free, except for select events.  For more information, please visit http://www.vawarmemorial.org.

About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS)
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with more than 50 locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia.  DVS traces its history to 1928 and the establishment of the Virginia War Service Bureau to assist Virginia’s World War I veterans. 

Today, DVS assists veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education, and other programs.

The agency operates long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, dementia/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; and provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries.

It also Va. War Memoriloperates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s tribute to Virginia’s men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit http://www.dvs.virginia.gov