Virginia War Memorial

Opened in 1956, the Virginia War Memorial is located on five acres donated by the city near Belle Isle with a beautiful view of the James River and the downtown Richmond skyline. It was originally dedicated to Virginians who were killed during WWII and the Korean War, with those lost in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf added later.

In 2020, the Memorial unveiled a 22,000-square-foot addition featuring the C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion, home to an updated Shrine of Memory honoring the 175 Virginians who have died in the Global War on Terrorism. It includes a large lecture hall, a Virginia Medal of Honor Gallery, and the Veterans’ Art Gallery, a gathering space that showcases artwork by Virginia Veterans.

Pam Seay remembers her first visit to the Virginia War Memorial. “It was in 1975 when I came to Richmond as a newlywed,” she recalls. “I was finishing my English degree at VCU, and I had a part-time job across the James River. So that was my corridor between school and work. I would stop at the Virginia War Memorial often. It had such an effect on me as a 21-year-old. I never forgot my visits there during those years.”

Little did she know that one day, after a full career of nearly 30 years with the Virginia Historical Society, she would retire only to be called back to work at the place she had always loved. “No second thoughts about it – I am where I should be,” says Pam. Since December 2019, Pam has served as president of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation.

The Foundation is the nonprofit partner that supports the Virginia War Memorial in its efforts to preserve the stories of veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, to honor all veterans and active-duty military, and to inspire love of country through education.  

“On behalf of the nearly 800,000 veterans in Virginia, we strive to preserve the stories of those military service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. We preserve those stories so that all citizens may learn from and be inspired by them. We want these vital stories of service to live on.”

“A major part of our programming is providing a creative venue for veterans – we offer creative writing and playwriting classes. We produce those plays with a theater partner on stage. The goal is for people to understand that veterans are more than their military service. They are individuals with a lot to offer,” explains Pam.

The Foundation connected with TowneBank shortly after Pam arrived, as they were going through an RFP process to find a new banking partner. TowneBank’s rates and fees were the most competitive, so it was a good business decision. “But it was also important to us that our partner be veteran-friendly, and as it happens, Duncan Owen, senior vice president in the TowneBank Richmond office, is a Navy veteran,” adds Pam.

The TowneBank Foundation awarded a multi-year grant to the Virginia War Memorial Foundation. “The War Memorial, which is only a few blocks from our Richmond headquarters, added a beautiful and significant addition recently, and we wanted to be a partner in honoring the sacrifices of our Virginia veterans,” says Pam Carnahan, TowneBank assistant vice president.

TowneBank has also supported an exhibition called Who They Were: Lives Worth Knowing. Pam Seay explains, “The premise of that exhibit is that every one of the 12,000 names etched on the wall represents an individual who wanted to live but was willing to die for their country. They represent lives cut short and sacrifice in its ultimate form. The importance of preserving those stories really resonated with TowneBank.”

In a spring 2023 article, the Richmond Times Dispatch referred to the Virginia War Memorial as “one of Richmond’s best-kept secrets.” The Foundation is trying to change that. “You sometimes take for granted things that are right in your backyard,” Pam says. “We serve the downtown area and people wander over for lunch. We are very much used as a public space, but we want everyone to know they are welcome to come inside.”

For more information, visit VaWarMemorial.org.