Virginia Beach Marks the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War

Virginia Beach will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and honor the country’s veterans, prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW-MIA) with special events planned for Nov. 7-11.  

Events free and open to the public include: 

• The Moving Wall, a half-size traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on display 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Nov. 7-11, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St. 

• Military vehicles, displays and more at the Virginia Beach Convention Center 

• Annual Tidewater Veterans Day Parade, 9 a.m., Nov. 11, starting at 16th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach 

• Annual Tidewater Veterans Day Ceremony, 11 a.m., Nov. 11, at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St. 

The events are co-sponsored by the City of Virginia Beach Mayor’s Committee for Veterans (MCV), the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations (HRCVO) and Mission: POW-MIA, a nonprofit organization based in Chesapeake that works to achieve the fullest possible accounting of missing and unaccounted-for Americans from past conflicts. 

Virginia Beach’s Veterans Week events have been designated as a national commemoration event by the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, a national program authorized by Congress to mark the 50th anniversary of the war. The commemoration began on Memorial Day 2012 and concludes on Veterans Day 2025. The program's primary goal is to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. 

For more information about these events and others as they are confirmed, please visit VirginiaBeach.gov/VeteransWeek.

The Moving Wall: A tribute to our Vietnam Veterans 

The Moving Wall, a half-size traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be on display 8 a.m.-8 p.m. each day, Nov. 7-11, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St. 

The wall, which will be free and open to the public to visit, features 58,000 names etched into 74 separate panels and is 252.8 feet long. Volunteers from Hampton Roads Veterans Organizations will be at the wall to assist visitors in locating names and to provide security. 

An official opening ceremony, 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 7, will feature music, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer and the laying of wreaths at the Moving Wall.  

Organizations interested in laying a wreath may contact Virgil Hart, chair of the Virginia Beach Mayor’s Committee for Veterans, at vhart@vbgov.com. 

For more information about the Moving Wall and other events for POW-MIA families, contact Dave Huffman, executive director of Mission POW-MIA, at dave.huffman@missionpowmia.org, or visit missionpowmia.org.

Tidewater Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony 

The Hampton Roads region will pay tribute to the men and women who have served in all branches of the U.S. armed forces during the 2025 Tidewater Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Nov. 11. 

The parade begins at 9 a.m. at 16th Street and Atlantic Avenue and concludes with the formal ceremony at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St. Sponsored by the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations (HRCVO), the event is free and open to the public. 

A luncheon to honor veterans will follow, and tickets are required for attendance. Visit www.HRCVO.org for information on purchasing tickets. 

Sections of 19th Street, Atlantic Avenue, Pacific Avenue, 17th Street and Mediterranean Avenue will be closed for the parade. 

For more information on the parade and ceremony, contact Daniel Doyle, president of the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations, 757-348-0884, dandoyle615@gmail.com or visit www.HRCVO.org. 

Ghosts of the Battlefield Vehicle Display 

One vehicle from each conflict — World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Desert Storm — will be on display and staffed, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 10; and 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Nov. 11, in front of the Virginia Beach Convention Center. One vehicle will participate in the Tidewater Veterans Day Parade. Free and open to the public. 

For more information, contact Dave Huffman at dave.huffman@missionpowmia.org.

Americans in Wartime Experience - Voices of Freedom Project 

The mobile recording studio and vehicle display will be available noon to 5 p.m., Nov. 10, in the parking lot on the west side of the Virginia Beach Convention Center. It will also be in the Tidewater Veterans Day Parade, beginning at 9 a.m., Nov. 11, at 16th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach. 

Combat veterans of any past conflict who are interested in sharing their stories in an interview are asked to contact Dave Huffman of Mission: POW-MIA at dave.huffman@missionpowmia.org.

About 10 one-hour interviews are possible. Free and open to the public. 

North Carolina Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Vehicle Display 

Three helicopters — a Huey gunship, a Huey "slick," and a OH-6 Cayuse Observation Helicopter — will be on static display and staffed by Vietnam veteran helicopter pilots, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 10, in the parking lot on the west side of the Virginia Beach Convention Center.  

The helicopters will be in the Tidewater Veterans Day Parade, beginning at 9 a.m., Nov. 11, at 16th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach. They will then be on static display, noon to 5 p.m., Nov. 11, in the parking lot on the west side of the Convention Center. 

Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dave Huffman at dave.huffman@missionpowmia.org.