RICHMOND, Va. –
The Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony honored and remembered the military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation May 26, 2025, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia.
Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin, retired Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, the Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, as well as Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, with Chief Master Sgt. John F. Nye, the VNG Command Senior Enlisted Leader, and Spc. Nicholas Warren, the VNG Soldier of the Year, placed memorial wreaths to honor the fallen.
“To the families of the fallen, to those for whom every single day is Memorial Day, we cannot fully share in your sorrow or shoulder the immense sacrifice that you have born since the loss of your loved one,” Youngkin said. “Today we stand with you. We stand with you to express our collective grief and to show our overwhelming gratitude for all that your loved ones did to defend liberty and to defend freedom.”
Warren led the pledge of allegiance and the 29th Infantry Division Band provided music for the ceremony. Members of the Virginia Defense Force volunteered their time to provide parking assistance for the event.
“We pause to reflect on the tremendous sacrifice of those we lost while defending our country,” Crenshaw said. “They were called to be part of something bigger than themselves. They came from all walks of life, each having a unique story of why they served. But they served with a single focus. We must help future generations understand that the act of committing yourself to your country and being willing to fight for the freedom of others is among the most noble of endeavors.”
Ten Virginia National Guard Soldiers have been killed by hostile enemy action since Sept. 11, 2001. Read their stories at
https://vngpao.info/RememberTheFallen.
“As we gather together in this sacred place, we remember the names who have served not on behalf of themselves but on behalf of the freedoms we so dearly enjoy,” Ring said. “We remember those who served, and those who sacrificed that we may readily enjoy peace, freedom, liberty and to walk each day with the prosperity that this great commonwealth and this great nation affords us. We remember that peace is not free.”
Ring, Nye and Capt. Megan Guggisberg took part in the War Memorial’s marathon of reading the names of all of the nearly 12,000 Virginians remembered at the memorial.
~ Photos from the ceremony on Flickr at
https://vngpao.info/mwpnce9t
~ Read the AG’s Memorial Day message at
https://vngpao.info/mrxyrc43