Southside Cities Selected as National Veterans Day Regional Site for 15th Year in a Row

The Southside Hampton Roads cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach have been selected as a designated regional site for the observance of Veterans Day in 2023 by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Day National Committee. It is the 15^th year in a row that the region has been selected for this honor.

Each year, the committee reviews submissions from across the nation that represent fitting tributes to America’s heroes. The Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations (HRCVO) has hosted the Veterans Day parade and ceremony annually since 1970 on behalf of the five Southside Hampton Roads cities.

“It is an honor to be recognized for 15 consecutive years by the Veterans Day National Committee,” said HRCVO President Daniel Doyle. “Our Veterans Day activities offer a unique opportunity for the region to come together to display our appreciation for the service and sacrifices of our veterans, especially in an area with a distinguished military presence.”

This year’s parade, co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, on Atlantic Avenue at 16th Street in Virginia Beach. It ends in front of the Tidewater Veterans Memorial on 19th Street, across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center, with a formal ceremony featuring military, federal, state and local dignitaries. Immediately following the ceremony, veterans will be honored with a luncheon at the Double Tree Hotel near the convention center.

The parade will include military units from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard that represent military installations from 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, local high school bands, and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

The Veterans Day parade is sanctioned by the Veterans Day National 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.”

For more information, contact Daniel Doyle, HRCVO president, 757-348-0884, dandoyle615@gmail.com, or visit www.HRCVO.org.

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