The Paul & Phyllis Galanti Education Center Capital Campaign
The Virginia War Memorial honors all Virginia veterans, but those who were killed in action during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm are particularly honored in the Memorial’s Shrine of Memory. The Memorial’s mission is to Honor our Veterans, Preserve our History, Educate our Children, and Inspire Patriotism in All.
The Memorial, built in 1955, was originally designed as a World War II and Korea Memorial for those Virginians who sacrificed their lives in battle. Following Vietnam, the Shrine was enlarged to honor those Virginians killed in action in that conflict. In 1996, the names of Virginians killed in action during Desert Storm were added. The Shrine now honors 11,638 Virginia heroes engraved on its glass and stone walls. Plans are underway to honor Virginians killed in action in the War on Terror; over 100 Virginians have been killed at the hands of the enemy thus far in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Understanding the urgent need to educate on events half a century past, the Memorial’s Trustees commissioned privately funded educational programs in 1997. This initiative principally used personal stories of sacrifice and honor to teach history and inspire patriotism. The center piece of the Memorial’s educational programs is its award-winning Virginians At War interview and film program. So far, over 800 veterans from across Virginia have been interviewed, creating an extensive database for historians and students to research individuals’ stories and perceptions. Twelve SOL aligned films are complete, and six have thus far been distributed to over 1,400 public and private intermediate and high schools in Virginia as well as other veteran groups and military units.