Hundreds of people gather for the dedication and grand opening of the $25 million addition to the Virginia War Memorial that honors those who gave their lives in military service. The ceremony, held last Saturday at the war memorial at 621 S. Belvidere St., featured retired Gen. John P. Jumper of Spotsylvania, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, as the keynote speaker. The
expansion project took two years to complete and includes the new C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion, a 25,000-square-foot building, and an expanded Shrine of Memory listing the names of those killed in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and other recent military actions. The facility has a new exhibit hall, art gallery and research library, as well as a 350-seat auditorium. The expansion also provides room for the Virginia Medal of Honor Gallery and created an additional 128 parking spaces in a new underground parking deck.
