VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — April 28, 2015 —The Virginia Beach
Mayor’s Veterans Committee is pleased to announce that Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike D. Stevens will be this year’s
keynote speaker for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony, to be held Monday, May
25, at noon at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, 1000 19th St. across from the
Virginia Beach Convention Center.
The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) is the
senior enlisted person in the Navy and serves as an advisor to the Chief of
Naval Operations and to the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Stevens’ academic achievements include an associate’s degree
in administrative management studies; Senior Enlisted Professional Military
Education; Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education; Harvard John
F. Kennedy School of Government “Leadership in Crisis” program; and the
National Defense University Keystone course. He is an honor graduate and the
recipient of the prestigious Peter Tomich Award for exceptional military
excellence from the Senior Enlisted Academy.
Stevens became the 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy on Sept.
28, 2012.
This annual event, hosted by the Mayor’s Veterans Committee,
is held to honor and pay tribute to the men and women of the armed forces who
perished while serving our country and protecting our freedom. COL Floyd
Gilbert, U.S. Army (Retired), will emcee the ceremony with opening remarks
provided by the Honorable William D. Sessoms Jr., Mayor of Virginia Beach.
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, Charlie
Montgomery, president of the Mayor’s Veterans Committee, will give special
acknowledgment to those who served. In addition, the Virginia Beach Police
Department’s Honor Guard Unit-Rifle Team will provide a 21-rifle salute and Chaplain
and LCDR Victoria A. Chappell, CHC, USN, from Naval Air Station, Oceana, will
offer the invocation. Salem High
School’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps will present colors, the
U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band will perform throughout the ceremony,
and vocalist Mary Ann Rayment will perform the National Anthem and God Bless
America. At the conclusion of the formal service, 1 p.m., there will be a
flyover of the magnificent “Warbirds” provided by the Military Aviation Museum.
The public is invited
to attend. Citizens who would like to place an American flag (provided) around
the base of the memorial to honor a relative or friend are encouraged to arrive
prior to the commencement of the formal ceremony. The flags will remain in
place for one week.
For additional information, please contact Barbara Morrison
at (757) 385-4075 or email bmorriso@vbgov.com.
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