
VIRGINIA BEACH — For the 11th year in a row, the city was selected by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a designated regional site for the observance of Veterans Day by the Veterans Day National Committee.
Virginia Beach was one of 49 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 11th year 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.
“We are very proud to once again be recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Day National Committee,” said Mike Maliniak, president of the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations and event coordinator. “Our Veterans Day activities, with strong support provided by the many organizations that participate and assist with the events, provide a unique opportunity to show appreciation for the sacrifices our veterans have made to maintain the freedoms that we enjoy in our nation.”
This year’s parade, cosponsored by the American Veterans, will be on Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), starting at 9 a.m. on Atlantic Avenue, beginning at 16th Street and ending in front of the Tidewater Veterans Memorial on 19th 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, according to a news release from the city.
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 take place following the parade at 11 a.m. at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, located on 19th Street across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Immediately following the ceremony, there will be a luncheon honoring Veterans at the DoubleTree Hotel near the Virginia Beach Convention Center, officials said.