The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), Department of Virginia will host a special National Purple Heart Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, August 7, 2026, in the Shrine of Memory – 20th Century at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. Members of the public and especially Purple Heart recipients and their families are invited and encouraged to attend and participate. The program will include a welcome from Virginia War Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle, a keynote address by MOPH Virginia Commander Ben King, an invocation by MOPH Virginia Chaplain Brian Moore, and readings from the Declaration of Independence celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. All Purple Heart recipients in attendance will be recognized, and special commemorative coins will be presented to active-duty service members and students who participate in Purple Heart activities at their schools throughout the Commonwealth. “By establishing the nation’s first Purple Heart Cemeteries, Virginia is once again leading the way.