Veterans Day 2019: Ceremony, Schedule Changes In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The City of Alexandria will recognize Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11 with a ceremony and schedule changes.

The 18th annual ceremony will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue. The one-hour ceremony honors the 68 Alexandria residents who died during the Vietnam War and other military veterans. The 68 names are engraved in the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial and will be read aloud.

The tribute gives particular recognition to Captain Humbert Roque “Rocky” Versace, a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient, Ranger Hall of Fame inductee, Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment, Distinguished Member of The Old Guard Regiment and Del Ray resident. Versace was taken as a Prisoner of War and was executed by the Viet-Cong, reportedly while loudly singing "God Bless America." He was posthumously given the Medal of Honor in 2002, the first time an Army POW received the nation's highest honor for actions in captivity.

The ceremony will also recognize Gold Star families in attendance, presentation of Vietnam Veteran lapel pins to Vietnam-era veterans, a wreath laying in honor of Captain Versace and the sounding of Taps. The U.S. Army’s Historical Trumpets and Flutes of The Old Guard’s Fife and Drum Corps will perform, while the Alexandria Harmonizers will sing the National Anthem and "God Bless America."

The City of Alexandria and Friends of Rocky Versace host the annual ceremony. The Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated with support from Friends of Rocky Versace.

Schedule of services for Veterans Day

City of Alexandria Offices: Open

State Offices: The Circuit Court, Clerk of Circuit Court, General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, and Court Service Unit located in the Alexandria Courthouse (520 King Street) will be closed on Nov. 11. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office (2681 Mill Road), will also be closed.

Alexandria City Public Schools: Open

Animal Shelter: The Vola Lawson Animal Shelter will observe weekend hours, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Animal visiting hours will begin at noon. Adoption fees for adult animals will be waived for veterans and active duty military personnel.

DASH Bus: DASH bus service will operate on its regular weekday schedule on Nov. 11. The free King Street Trolley will operate on its normal schedule, every 10 to 15 minutes between the King Street Metro Station and the Potomac River waterfront, from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit dashbus.com.

Health Facilities: The Alexandria Health Department (4480 King Street), Flora Krause Casey Wellness Center (1200 N. Howard Street) and Teen Wellness Center at T.C. Williams High School (3330 King Street) will be closed.

Historic Sites and Museums: The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum will be open on a regular schedule from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 11; all other City museums will be closed. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.

Hotlines: All emergency hotlines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including the child protective services hotline at 703-746-5800; the domestic violence hotline at 703-746-4911; the emergency services for mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline at 703-746-3401; the adult protective services hotline at 1-888-832-3858; and the sexual assault hotline at 703-683-7273.

Impound Lot: The City's Impound Facility (5249 Eisenhower Avenue) will be open on Nov. 11.

Libraries: The Alexandria Law Library (520 King Street) will be closed on Nov. 11. All other Alexandria Library branches and the Talking Books Service at Beatley Central Library will be open on Nov. 11.

Metrorail: The Metro system will be open 5 a.m.-11:30 p.m. and operate on a Saturday schedule.

Metrobus: Buses will operate on a Saturday and supplemental schedule on Nov. 11. See bus timetables.

Parking: The Alexandria Police Department will suspend enforcement of parking restrictions at metered spaces and residential permit parking districts on Monday, Nov. 11. This suspension of enforcement applies only to the restrictions at legal parking spaces and does not permit parking in any location normally prohibited (for example, no parking zones, loading zones or spaces for persons with disabilities). Temporary no parking signs will be enforced on Nov. 11.

Recreation and Arts Centers: Open on a regular schedule

Trash and Recycling: Residential refuse and recycling will be collected on a normal schedule. The Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center (3224 Colvin Street) will be open.