Virginia Beach Recognized as National Veterans Day Regional Site For 13th Year in a Row

Virginia Beach was recently notified by the Department of Veterans Affairs that for the 13^th year in a row, the City of Virginia Beach was selected as a designated regional site for the observance of Veterans Day by the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Day National Committee. Virginia Beach was one of 33 designated sites nationwide, the only site in Virginia.

Each year, the Veterans Day National Committee reviews submissions from across the nation that represent fitting tributes to America's heroes. This is the 13^th year that Virginia Beach applied on behalf of the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations, which has hosted the annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony, on behalf of Southside Hampton Roads (Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach) since 1970.

Robert Randall, president of the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations (HRCVO), said, "We are very proud to once again be recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Day National Committee. Our Veterans Day activities, especially the support provided by the many organizations that participate and assist with the events, provide a unique opportunity to show our appreciation for the sacrifices our Veterans have made to maintain the freedoms that we enjoy in our nation."

This year's parade, co-sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, will be held Thursday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) starting at 9 a.m. on Atlantic Avenue, beginning at 16^th Street and ending in front of the Tidewater Veterans Memorial on 19^th Street. The parade will include military units from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard that represent the military installations across the region. Veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom will participate, as well as several Tidewater municipal and veterans support organizations, including local high school bands and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

The Veterans Day Parade is sanctioned by the Department of Veterans Affairs National Veterans Day Committee and the Mayors of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, who sign a proclamation declaring that "citizens, businesses and organizations demonstrate due appreciation, admiration and respect for all veterans who have served our great nation."

A formal ceremony that includes military, federal, state and local dignitaries will be held following the parade at 11 a.m. at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, located on 19^th Street across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

For more information, contact Robert Randall, HRCVO president, at 757-485-1245.

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