The Richmond Times Dispatch has an article in today’s edition that suggests the new portion of the Virginia War Memorial will open in September.
Dedicated in 1956, the war memorial was strategically placed along U.S. 1 so that anyone passing through Richmond would see it. When the education center opens in September, thousands more will be stopping year-round to not only honor Virginia’s veterans, but also to learn from and interactively experience the stories of World War II through the Persian Gulf War.
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Included in the additional 17,300 square feet of space will be an 800-seat amphitheater, 200and 75-seat auditoriums, a 200-seat classroom, a research library, a conference room, a gift shop and numerous exhibits throughout the halls.
School groups and other visitors will be able to enjoy tours that include the memorial’s documentary series, “Virginians at War.” Jon Hatfield, the executive director of the war memorial, said he is especially excited about the 16-minute film to be shown in the larger auditorium. One segment will include artificial snow in the auditorium to simulate harsh winters of the Korean War.
“Somebody said to me, ‘Isn’t that a little bit too much Hollywood?’ I said, ‘No'” Hatfield said. “If it causes one child or one person to want to come to the memorial and we can get them here and teach them about the sacrifice of Virginians and all Americans so that we have the freedoms that we have, I’d say it’s just exactly the right amount of Hollywood.”
