The Office of Veterans Services (OVS) and the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs (DCVA) have scheduled two events in observance of Memorial Day.
As in previous years, OVS and DCVA will host ceremonies on separate days. The first will take place on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Ceremony in Bear, Delaware. The second will take place on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at the Delaware War Memorial Day Plaza in New Castle. Both events will honor fallen servicemembers who have died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Visitors with accessibility accommodation needs are encouraged to register for assistance by contacting Miranda Mal at the Office of Veterans Services via email at Miranda.mal@delaware.gov or phone at 302-257-3120. Requests should be submitted by Friday, May 26, 2023, to ensure support is in place.
Saturday, May 27, 2023
What: Memorial Day Ceremony
When: Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: New Castle County Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Rd., Bear, DE 19701
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
What: Memorial Day Ceremony
When: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: War Memorial Plaza, 163 Cherry Lane, New Castle, DE 19720
Memorial Day Ceremonial Events
The Office of Veterans Services and the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs have scheduled two events in observance of Memorial Day.
As in previous years, OVS and the Commission will host ceremonies on separate days. The first will take place on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Day Cemetery in Bear. The second will take place on Monday, May 30, 2022, at the Delaware War Memorial Plaza in New Castle. Both will honor the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Saturday, May 28, 2022
What:
Memorial Day Ceremony
When:
Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
Where:
New Castle County Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Rd., Bear, DE 19701
Monday, May 30, 2022
What: Memorial Day Ceremony
Who:
Governor John Carney
Governor Bethany Hall-Long
U.S. Senator Tom Carper
U.S. Senator Chris Coons
Secretary of State Jeff Bullock
Attorney General Kathy Jennings
State Treasurer Colleen Davis
Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro
State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness
Deputy Secretary of State Kris Knight
Delaware Veterans Affairs Commission
Wilmington Veterans Affairs Healthcare Director Vince Kane
Office of Veterans Services Executive Director Josh Matticks
Delaware Veterans Home Administrator Carol Erhart
Members of the Delaware General Assembly
When: Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: War Memorial Plaza, 163 Cherry Lane, New Castle, DE 19720
The mission of the Delaware Office of Veterans Services (OVS), an agency of the Delaware Department of State, is to support veterans living in the First State and their families. OVS assists with access to services and benefits that veterans have earned through their military service, including disability compensation, employment, housing and more.
MILLSBORO, Del. — Dozens of arborists and professionals from three Delaware tree care companies volunteered for the 7th Annual “Saluting Branches” event by devoting a day to trimming, shaping, and removing hazardous trees from the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro. The Delaware site was one of 40 sites throughout the United States that participated in the event, which attracted more than 3,000 volunteers. Workers from Tri-State Tree Care, Complete Tree Care, and Cypress Tree Care spent their entire day as a way to pay tribute to the veterans and their service.
Jay Ashby, who runs Cypress Tree Care and also serves as Chair of Delaware’s Community Forestry Council, called it a “Great day of service for our resting veterans.”
Joe Shoup from Cypress Tree Care was glad to be back after participating in 2019 but having last year’s event canceled because of COVID-19.
PHOTO: Joe Shoup of Cypress Tree Care with Frank Silva Jr., grounds foreman at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro.
“There was a lot of hazard work. They had a lot of dead wood and a lot of dead trees that needed to be taken down. That first year we were able to get a big chunk of work done and as such the trees looked a lot nicer but they were also a lot safer,” Shoup said. “This year… we’re able to do a lot of reduction pruning on these older, more mature oak trees… If we can get here for the next two, three years in a row, we should have this place up to snuff and there shouldn’t be any more hazards left.”
Frank Silva, Jr., who serves as the grounds foreman for Delaware’s Office of Veterans Services, is extremely grateful for the professional expertise and dedication that the workers provide.
“These huge old oaks that are several hundred years old, they’re too large for us to take care of. We don’t have the equipment or the manpower to take care of that and we’re not professional arborists,” Silva said.
“It’s very important to us to keep the place looking pretty good as you can see,” he continued. “It’s a place of honor and respect. We’re all veterans… everyone who works for this commission is a veteran, so it’s an important job to us. And all the work that they do really helps out.”
PHOTO: A tree care professional works on a large oak tree at the Delaware Veterans Cemetery in Millsboro. Workers from three Delaware companies volunteered for the annual “Saluting Branches” event as a day of service to America’s veterans.
Silva estimated that almost 6,000 Delaware veterans and spouses are currently interred at the cemetery, which is why it’s so important they and their families continue to have a well-maintained place of honor and respect when they are laid to rest. The Millsboro veterans cemetery covers about 65 acres, of which about 25 acres is currently in use for burials and interments. The site is expected to grow in the years ahead to accommodate future applications.
Delaware Veterans Cemetery Team Earns Top Honors from VA
BEAR – The staff of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear were recognized Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for their outstanding service to the state’s veterans and their families.
Gov. John Carney joined the Bear team and the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs in accepting the Operational Excellence Award from Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves of the VA’s National Cemetery Administration. The award places the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery among the top five percent of state veterans’ cemeteries in the nation.
“The Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery truly is hallowed ground for those Delawareans who served their country in our armed forces, and for the loved ones who carry on the legacy of their deeds,” said Governor Carney. “I’ve always been extremely proud of the dedicated team that works every day to ensure that this resting place is maintained to the highest standards of excellence, and I congratulate them on earning the recognition they deserve.”
The VA established the Operational Excellence Award program for state and tribal cemeteries in May, 2018 to recognize outstanding service to veterans and their family members in all areas of operations. The Bear cemetery met or exceeded 82 of 90 applicable performance measures for a combined score of 91 percent in the areas of Interment Operations, Grounds Maintenance, and Headstone, Marker, and Niche Cover Operations.
“Cemeteries like the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear are a model of excellence, on par with some of the best national cemeteries in the country,” said Under Secretary Reeves. “The dedication to maintaining this cemetery as a shrine truly commemorates veterans’ service and sacrifice to our nation.”
In 2016, the VA awarded a $3.67 million expansion grant for the Bear cemetery, which provides a final resting place for 45,000 Delaware veterans and their eligible family members. The Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery is administered by the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs.
“The whole team at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear does outstanding work to honor the memory of our state’s veterans, and to support their families in their times of mourning,” said Larence Kirby, executive director of the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs. “Our mission is support those who served, and I can’t think of a better group of individuals who embody that goal.”
For more information on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration, contact Richelle Taylor, Public Affairs Specialist, at richelle.taylor@va.gov or call (202) 632-8011.
2018 Memorial Day Services: May 26th and May 30th
When/Where: Saturday, May 26th @ 10:30am – Parade Field Grounds of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, DE 19701.
When/Where: Wednesday, May 30th @ 10:am – War Memorial Plaza, 163 Cherry Lane, New Castle, DE 19720.
The Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs will like to invite you to their annual Memorial Day Ceremonies honoring all our fallen military members. On May 26th, the event will be hosted by the DAV – Disabled American Veterans, led by Commissioner Paul Lardizzone at the Delaware Veterans Cemetery. On May 30th, the event will be hosted by the DNG – Delaware National Guard, led by Vice Chair Angela Showell at the War Memorial Plaza (Delaware Bridge).
