(from Newport This Week article by Zane Wolfgang)
Newport VFW Post 406 will formally rededicate Memorial Boulevard on Veterans’ Day in a ceremony to reaffirm the roadway’s role of honoring the service and sacrifice of Newport’s veterans.
At the ceremony, a new commemorative sign will be unveiled to recognize the boulevard’s connection to the generations of Newport men and women who have served in the United States military. “Memorial Boulevard should serve as a lasting reminder of the men and women of Newport who answered our nation’s call to service,” said Anselm T.W. Richards, Commander of VFW Post 406. “This rededication is an opportunity for our community to reaffirm the meaning behind the boulevard’s name and ensure that the service and sacrifice of our veterans remain recognized and remembered.”
Richards also thanked Representatives Marvin Abney and Lauren Carson for sponsoring the legislative grant that funded the new sign, as well as the Newport City Council for its unanimous resolution of support for the project.
The ceremony will take place at the northeast corner of Bellevue Avenue and Memorial Boulevard on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 3:30 p.m., followed by a reception at the Brenton Hotel.
There will also be a remembrance service at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Nov. 11 at Island Cemetery’s Belmont Chapel, and volunteers from VFW Post 406 will be flagging veterans’ graves at Island Cemetery on the prior Saturday, Nov. 7, at 9 a.m.
— By Zane Wolfang