Wichita Veterans Memorial Park

2024 Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration at Veterans Memorial Park
2024-12-07 08:00 - 08:30 UTC | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
NEWS RELEASE: At 8:00 am on December 7th, 2024, the Wichita Veterans Memorial Park Board will host a Pearl Harbor Day commemoration at Veterans Memorial Park. The location of this short ceremony will in front of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial. The commemoration will include the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, invocation, a short talk on the significance of the event, Navy Hymn and a 3-volley rifle salute, concluding with the sounding of TAPS. The public is welcome to attend but as this will be a short event, no seating will be provided. Attendees are welcome to bring their own chairs, if desired.

Veterans Day Commemoration - 2024
2024-11-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On November 11th, 2024, VMPWI will host a Veterans Day Commemoration in the Park at 11:00 am. The event will take place at the Flag Pavilion at the south end of the Park. Colors will be presented by the McConnell Air Force Base Honor Guard as a Bugler plays the National Anthem. This will be followed by the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation. After a few brief remarks by the Master of Ceremonies, guest speaker Charles Eaton will reflect on the significance of this day that honors all U.S. Veterans. Charles is an Army Veteran who retired as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW4) after 35 years on Active Duty.
A closing prayer will then be offered, followed by a 3-volley rifle salute and the sounding of Taps. The event is open to the public and a limited number of chairs will be provided. However, guests may want to bring their own lawn chairs to ensure they have a seat.

Tolling of the Boats - 2024
2024-10-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
The United States Submarine Veterans Inc.’s Dorado Base will present their annual Tolling of the Boats ceremony at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
The commemoration ceremony will be held at the USS Dorado Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park.
The ceremony will include a presentation of the Colors, the playing of the National Anthem, an Invocation, keynote speaker (Wichita Vice-Mayor Maggie Ballard), a reading of all lost US submarines, and the playing of Taps.
The event is open to the public but since seating will be limited, visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

Commemoration of 9/11 and the Global War on Terror - 2024
2024-09-11 09:00 - 09:30 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On September 11th, 2024 at 9:00 am, the Veterans Memorial Park Board of Wichita will host a ceremony to commemorate the events of 9/11/2001 and pay tribute to the Veterans who served in the subsequent Global War on Terror. Held at the Park’s Operation Freedom Memorial, the event will begin with the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an Invocation and remarks by the Master of Ceremonies John Offerman. After a closing prayer, the American Legion Post 4 Honor Guard will fire a 3-volley salute. The event will conclude with the bugler(s) sounding TAPS for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
This is open to the public, but since there will be limited seating, guests who wish to sit may want to bring their own lawn chairs.

V-J Day Commemoration - 2024
2024-09-02 10:00 - 10:30 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On September 2nd at 10:00 am, Veterans Memorial Park will host a V-J Day commemoration. This event is held to honor the Veterans of World War II, especially those who served in the Pacific Theater. The signing of the terms of surrender by Japan took place on the deck of the U.S. Battleship Missouri on this date in Tokyo Bay in 1945, marking the end of the Second World War. The brief ceremony will include the playing of our National Anthem, an opening and closing prayer by a Chaplain, appropriate comments from Master of Ceremonies U.S. Navy Veteran Bob Fugit and the sounding of Taps. The location of the ceremony will be the WWII (Kilroy) Memorial in the Park. The public is invited to attend, but since this will be a short event, seating will not be provided. Guests who wish to sit are welcome to bring their own chairs.

Korean War Armistice Day Commemoration - 2024
2024-07-27 10:00 - 10:30 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On July 27th, 2024 at 10:00 am, the Veterans Memorial Park Board will host a brief commemoration on the anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The event will be held at the Kansas Korean Veterans Memorial in Wichita’s Veterans Memorial Park. It will feature the National Anthem played by a bugler, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, a Chaplain’s invocation and remarks by Master of Ceremony Tom Huxtable. Following the remarks, the Chaplain will offer a closing prayer, which will be followed by a 3-volley rifle salute performed by the American Legion Post 4 Rifle Detail. The bugler will play Taps to close the commemoration.
The public is welcome to attend, but since this is a short ceremony, no seating will be provided.

Independence Day 2024 Commemoration
2024-07-04 09:00 - 09:45 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
The Veterans Memorial Park Board of Wichita will host an Independence Day Commemoration at Veterans Memorial Park on July 4th, 2024 at 9:00 am. The ceremony will be held at the American Revolution Memorial at the south end of the Park. It will feature a bugler playing the National Anthem and Taps, the Chaplain’s invocation and closing prayer, recitation of the pledge of allegiance and presentation of the Colors by the McConnell Air Force Base Honor Guard. The guest speaker will be retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major Richard Lewallen from Topeka.
The public is invited to attend and a limited amount of seating will be provided. However, guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs if they want to be sure they have a place to sit.

D-Day Commemoration: 80th Anniversary
2024-06-06 09:00 - 09:30 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On June 6th, 2024 at Wichita’s Veterans Memorial Park, the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion will be commemorated at 9:00 am, in front of the WWII Memorial. The National Anthem will be played to start the event, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, an opening prayer and placement of a wreath. Following brief remarks by the Master of Ceremonies to speak about of the significance of the event, the closing prayer will be followed by the sounding of Taps. The event is open to the public, but no seating will be provided. Guests who wish to sit should bring their own lawn chairs.

Memorial Day Band Concert - Veterans Memorial Park
2024-05-27 12:00 - 12:45 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On Monday, May 27th 2024, the Delano Wind Ensemble will perform a band concert featuring popular marches and other patriotic music. The performance will begin at 12:00 noon and take place on the lawn near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The concert will last about 45 minutes and is open to the public. However, since no seating will be provided, guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. The ensemble will be directed by James Oliphant.

Memorial Day 2024 Commemoration
2024-05-27 11:00 - 11:45 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
Memorial Day 2024 will be commemorated at 11:00 am in Veterans’ Memorial Park at the Flag Pavilion on Monday, May 27th, 2024. There will be a guest speaker, Rifle Detail and a bugler to play the National Anthem and Taps for this event. Army Veteran Sam Brent will be the guest speaker. While in the Army, Sam served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Poland. The public is invited to attend.

VE (Victory in Europe) Day Commemoration
2024-05-08 13:00 - 13:30 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
On Wednesday, May 8th at 1:00 pm, the Veterans Memorial Park Board will host a brief ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day), in the Park at the WWII Memorial. This date in 1945 signified the end of WWII hostilities in the European Theater. The event will include the National Anthem, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, a Chaplain’s opening and closing prayer, brief remarks by the MC and the sounding of Taps.
This event is open to the public, but since it will be short in duration, no seating will be provided.

Vietnam Veterans Day Commemoration - 2024
2024-03-29 12:00 - 13:00 | KS
At 12:00 noon on March 29th, Wichita’s Veterans Memorial Park will hold a ceremony to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day. It will be held at the Park’s Vietnam Veterans (Homefront) Memorial. Vietnam Veteran Bob Fugit will be the Master of Ceremonies. The event will include the National Anthem, remarks by guest speaker (and Vietnam Veteran) Kenny White, an opening and closing prayer, a 3-volley rifle salute and the sounding of Taps. The public is welcome to attend, but guests are advised to bring chairs if they want to be seated.

Wreaths Across America (WAA) Event at Veterans Memorial Park
2023-12-16 10:00 - 11:00 | KS
At 10:00 am on December 16th, 2023, this annual WAA event will be held in conjunction with similar ceremonies all across the country. The approximately one hour ceremony will be held at the Park’s Flag Pavilion and will include:

Flag-lined entry sidewalk to the Park’s Flag Pavilion provided by the American Legion and Legion Riders
Introduction and opening remarks by the Master of Ceremonies
Color Guard presentation of The Colors
National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance
Chaplain’s Blessing
Placement of Wreaths (One for each branch of the US military and one for POWs-MIAs)
Keynote Message by Guest Speaker
Wreath-laying at each of the Park’s Memorials
Closing Prayer
3-volley Rifle Salute
Playing of Taps

The public is invited to attend. A limited number of chairs will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own if they want to be assured of a seat.

Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration at Veterans Memorial Park
2023-12-07 08:00 - 08:30 | KS
At 8:00 am on December 7th, 2023, the Wichita Veterans Memorial Park will host a Pearl Harbor Day commemoration at Veterans Memorial Park. The location of this short ceremony will be at the Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial. The commemoration will include the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, invocation, a short talk on the significance of the event, closing prayer and a 3-volley rifle salute, followed by the sounding of TAPS. The public is welcome to attend but as this will be a short event, no seating will be provided. Attendees are welcome to bring their own chairs, if desired.

Veterans Day Commemoration - 2023
2023-11-11 09:30 - 10:30 | KS
The First World War ended on November 11, 1918, and on this date Veterans Day is commemorated. At 9:30 am on November 11th, 2023, Wichita Veterans Memorial Park Board will honor all veterans who served in the US military with a ceremony at the VMP Flag Pavillion.
The ceremony will include:

Color guard presentation of The Colors
National Anthem played on the trumpet
Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation
Introduction and opening remarks
Guest speaker remarks – (US Army and Air Force Veteran Greg Zuercher from the Bleckley Foundation)
3-volley rifle salute
“Taps” played on the trumpet

Tolling of the Boats
2023-10-01 13:00 - 14:00 | KS
The United States Submarine Veterans Inc.’s Dorado Base will present their annual Tolling of the Boats ceremony at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 1, 2023.
The ceremony will be held at the USS Dorado Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park.
The ceremony will include a presentation of the Colors, the playing of the National Anthem, an Invocation, keynote speaker, a reading of all lost US submarines, and the playing of Taps.
The event is open to the public but since seating will be limited, visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

V-J (Victory in Japan) Day Commemoration
2023-09-02 09:00 - 21:30 | KS
VMPWI will host a short ceremony on September 2nd, 2023 to commemorate V-J Day, which signified the end of World War 2. A bugler will play the National Anthem to open the ceremony, followed by an invocation, brief comments by Master of Ceremonies Bryson Allen, a closing prayer and the playing of Taps to honor the U.S. service members who lost their lives in this war. The ceremony will be held at the World War II Memorial in the Park. The public is invited to attend, but since this will be a short ceremony, no seating will be provided.

Korean War Armistice Day Commemoration
2023-07-27 10:00 - 10:30 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
The Veterans Memorial Park Board – Wichita will hold a short ceremony to be held at Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday, July 27th at 10:00 AM to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.
July 27th is National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, a national day of recognition to commemorate the more than 35,000 U.S. Service members who lost their lives during the Korean War. This ceremony will feature the National Anthem, Invocation, brief remarks, closing prayer and Taps played by a bugler.
The event will be located at the Kansas Korean War Veterans Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park. The public is welcome to attend but no seating will be provided.

Independence Day Ceremony
2023-07-04 09:00 - 10:00 | Wichita Veterans Memorial Park, 339 Veterans Parkway, Wichita, KS, 67203, United States
At 9:00 am in Wichita’s Veterans Memorial Park, there will be a ceremony to commemorate US Independence Day. The ceremony will feature a guest speaker, color guard, rifle salute, a bugler playing the National Anthem as well as Taps to conclude the ceremony. The guest speaker will be Tim McGill, Special Effects Coordinator for Cine Specialists. Tim is also the son of a World War II Veteran. Limited seating will be available so guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

Kansas Elks Flag Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park
2023-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 | KS
At 1:00 pm at the Flag Pavilion of Veterans Memorial Park, the Kansas Elks will hold a state-wide Flag Day ceremony. The event will include a Flag Retirement ceremony conducted by American Legion Post 4.

D-Day Commemoration at Veterans Memorial Park
2023-06-06 11:00 - 11:30 | KS
There will be a short ceremony at the WWII Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park at 11:00 am on June 6th, 2023. A wreath-laying will be conducted, along with a few appropriate words from the MC and Chaplain, followed by the playing of Taps by our bugler.

Memorial Day Commemoration
2023-05-29 11:00 - 12:00 | KS
Memorial Day 2023 will be commemorated at 11:00 am in Veterans’ Memorial Park at the Flag Pavilion on Monday, May 29th, 2023. There will be a guest speaker, Color Guard, Rifle Detail and a bugler to play the National Anthem and Taps for this event. Herb Duncan, US Navy Veteran and key member of the Kansas Honor Flight organization, will be the guest speaker. The public is invited to attend.

Victory in Europe (VE) Day Commemoration
2023-05-08 13:00 - 13:30 | KS
There will be a short ceremony at the WWII (Kilroy) Memorial in Veterans’ Memorial Park on Monday, May 8th at 1:00 PM to commemorate this historic event.

Vietnam Veterans Day Commemoration
2023-03-29 12:00 - 13:00 | KS
There will be a commemoration held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Wichita’s Veterans’ Memorial Park at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023. The event will include guest speaker COL (Ret) Robert Hester, bugler and rifle detail salute. This event is open to the public. Since there is limited space and seating, guests are advised to bring their own lawn chairs.

Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration
2022-12-07 08:00 - 17:00 | KS
“Taps” will be played on the bugle and a memorial wreath will be laid at the Pearl Harbor Memorial. This to honor the 2,008 sailors were killed and 710 others wounded; 218 soldiers and airmen (who were part of the Army prior to the independent United States Air Force in 1947) were killed and 364 wounded; 109 Marines were killed and 69 wounded; and 68 civilians were killed and 35 wounded. In total, 2,403 Americans were killed, and 1,143 were wounded.

Veterans Day Commemoration
2022-11-11 11:00 - 12:00 | KS
The First World War ended on November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month WVMP will honor all veterans who served in the US military with a ceremony at the Flag Pavillion.
The ceremony will include:

Flag-lined entry sidewalk to the Park’s Flag Pavilion
Introduction and opening remarks
Chaplain invocation
Speaker (TBD)
Color guard presentation of The Colors
21-gun salute
“Taps” played on the trumpet

Commemoration of 9/11 and the Global War on Terror
2022-09-11 13:00 - 14:00 | KS
Note the NEW DATE and NEW TIME.
This ceremony will be held at the Operation Freedom Memorial and honors and remembers all those Americans who served in Desert Storm. Desert Shield and who died on 9/11/01 and those who served in the subsequent War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This ceremony will occur at the Operation Freedom Memorial near the Arkansas River. It will involve:

Flag-lined Sidewalk
Chaplain invocation
Speaker
Color Guard
Bugler
Rifle Salute

Victory over the Empire of Japan (VJ Day) Commemoration
2022-09-02 09:00 - 09:30 | KS
Known as “Victory over Japan Day,” or simply “VJ Day,” the term is used to refer to September 2, 1945. On that date, the Empire of Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. (SOURCE: History.com, V-J Day.)
WVMP will hold a brief ceremony at the Park’s World War Two Memorial (“Kilroy”) and will include:

Chaplain Invocation
Speaker
Gun Salute
Bugler

Korean War Cease Fire Commemoration
2022-07-27 10:00 - 10:30 | KS
The Korean Armistice Agreement brought to an end over three years of tremendous fighting against communist expansionism and tyranny on the Korean Peninsula. WVMP will honor the the 23,600 Americans who were killed in action and the more than 103,000 who were wounded in the Korean War. (SOURCE: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/korean-war-armistice-day.html)
The commemoration ceremony will be held at the Park’s Korean War Memorial. Check back for further details.

Independence Day
2022-07-04 09:00 - 10:00 | KS
On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later (July 4) delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, This ceremony commemorates America’s birthday will occur at the Park’s American Revolutionary War Memorial across from the Flag Pavilion.
The ceremony will include:

Flag-lined entry sidewalk to the Park’s Flag Pavilion
Introduction and opening remarks
Chaplain invocation
Speaker (TBD)
Color guard presentation of The Colors
21-gun salute
“Taps” played on the trumpet
