The Women’s Memorial 15th annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 4 p.m., May 28, 2012. The ceremony, one of the major Memorial Day programs in the nation’s capital, is free and open to the public and includes formal military honors, a keynote address, wreath-layings and the Memorial’s signature event, the scattering of rose petals in tribute to departed comrades. Members of the public are invited to join in the personal tribute segment of the program.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Navy Rear Admiral Michelle Howard who currently serves as the Chief of Staff to the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint staff. A 1982 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, she has had numerous commands at sea, beginning in 1999 as the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy. From 2009-2010, she commanded Task Force 151, Multi-national Counter-piracy effort, and Task Force 51, Expeditionary Forces, which rescued the crew of "Maersk Alabama" when they were overrun by Somali pirates in April 2009.

Also at the Memorial for Memorial Day commemorative activities is a special exhibit that pays tribute to the women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. "A New Generation of Warriors" speaks to the wartime experiences of these women through the memorabilia of 101st Airborne Division soldier CPL Jessica Ellis, who was killed in action on Mother's Day, May 11, 2008, in Baghdad, Iraq. Also on display is the special In-Memoriam Book located in the Memorial’s Hall of Honor. The book, a living memorial that is updated as necessary, includes the picture, awards and decorations and biographical information of the 144 military women who have lost their lives in these wars. The exhibits are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 703-533-1155 or 800-222-2294. The Women’s Memorial, located at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, is readily accessible by Metro (Blue Line) and paid parking is available.

The Women In Military Service For America Memorial is the nation’s only major memorial honoring all servicewomen, past and present. Featuring an exhibit gallery, theater and Register of women who have served, the Memorial is open to the public, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily.

-30-