Virginia Beach Hosts Annual Memorial Day Ceremony

Update: Because of forecasted rain and possible storms, this year's ceremony will be held inside the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The ceremony starts at noon in Ballrooms 2 and 3. The event will be live-streamed on the City’s website and Facebook page.

Virginia Beach will honor and pay tribute to all members of the U.S. armed forces during a formal ceremony for Memorial Day, noon-1 p.m., Monday, May 27, at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, 1000 19^th St., across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

Hosted by Virginia Beach Mayor Robert M. “Bobby” Dyer and the Mayor’s Committee for Veterans, the ceremony honors those who “who gave their all,” and features flyovers, 21-gun salute, reading of honored veteran names and remarks from distinguished guests. It is free and open to the public.

Military commands and organizations are invited to bring wreaths to place at the memorial during the formal ceremony on behalf of their organization. Citizens who would like to place a provided American flag around the base of the memorial to honor a relative or friend are encouraged to arrive prior to the start of the formal ceremony.

The event will be live-streamed on the City’s website at virginiabeach.com/media and on the City’s Facebook page at facebook.com/CityofVaBeach.

The Virginia Beach Police Department’s Honor Guard Unit - Rifle Team and Color Guard will provide a 21-gun salute as part of the opening ceremony. The U.S. Air Force Langley Winds and Tony Zontoni will provide music. U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Clarissa Blair, communications officer, N6, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, will deliver the keynote address. Other participants include Mayor Bobby Dyer; Mike Gooding, senior military reporter with WVEC-TV; and David Yemington, chaplain of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 969; Salem High School JROTC; and members of the Mayor’s Committee for Veterans. 

Each year, the Tidewater Veterans Memorial is the site of a formal ceremony on Memorial Day, as well as the culmination of the Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony, which traditionally is designated as a regional event sanctioned by the Veterans Day National Committee.