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National Park Service photo by volunteer Dan Arant
Contact: Holly Rotondi, Friends of the National World War II Memorial, 202-675-2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Friends of the National World War II Memorial (Friends) and the National Park Service (NPS) will pay tribute to the more than 16 million men and women who served with the U.S. armed forces during World War II during a special Veterans Day event at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 9:00 a.m.As part of the commemoration, a dozen World War II veterans will lay wreaths at the Freedom Wall in remembrance of the more than 400,000 Americans who lost their lives during World War II.
The ceremony will feature remarks by newspaper correspondent and columnist Joseph Galloway. Born three weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Galloway did not meet his father until 1945 when the elder Galloway returned from his service overseas. During the Vietnam War, Mr. Galloway often worked alongside the troops he covered and was awarded a Bronze Star for carrying wounded men to safety during the November 1965 Battle of Ia Drang. Along with Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore, Galloway co-authored a detailed account of those experiences in the best-selling 1992 book, "We Were Soldiers Once… And Young."
Friends Chairman retired Army Lieutenant General Mick Kicklighter will speak on behalf of Friends. Robert Vogel, Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, will speak on behalf of NPS. Emmy Award winning news Anchor of Good Morning Washington and ABC7 News at Noon Autria Godfrey will serve as the ceremony's master of ceremonies.
The United States Navy Band Brass Quintet will play throughout the ceremony. The ceremony will begin with the posting of colors by the Military District of Washington's Armed Forces Color Guard and, following remarks by honored guests and wreath layings, will conclude with the playing of Taps.
NOTE: Road closures due to HBO's Concert for Valor will impact access to the WWII Memorial. Additionally, the Smithsonian Metro station will be closed. Please click here for more information.
Founded in 2007, the Friends of the National World War II Memorial (Friends) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to ensuring that the legacy, lessons, and sacrifices of World War II are not forgotten. To meet this mission, Friends sponsors an annual public lecture series featuring prominent historians;provides teachers with curriculum materials;and collects and archives video interviews of World War II veterans and other members of the Greatest Generation. Capturing the Voices of World War II, a service-learning program in which high school students interview World War II veterans at "their" Memorial, transforms the Memorial into an outdoor classroom and provides a unique platform to digitally document the stories brought to life through first-person veteran accounts. Additionally, Friends has the lead responsibility in planning and staging five or more major national commemorative events annually and each summer sponsors a dozen free public performances of military bands at the Memorial. Friends relies on private support to breathe new life into the Memorial and to ensure that it continues to serve as a living lesson for all Americans.
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Last updated: April 10, 2015