Residents Invited to 19th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11, 2026

Published on October 27, 2026

Memorial to the Fallen, a monument inside Veterans Parks

By the Office of Communication

This Veterans Day, Arlington residents are invited to honor members of the United States and Allied Armed Forces, as well as all military service members from Arlington who lost their lives in service to this country.

The 19th Annual Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at the Arlington Veterans Park Memorial at Veterans Park, 3600 W. Arkansas Lane. The event is organized by the Arlington Rotary Club, Arlington Veterans Memorial Foundation and The Heroes of South Vietnam Memorial Foundation.

This year’s keynote speaker is Lt. Col. Michael W. Menefee, a 30-year retired veteran of the Marines. After winning a low military lottery draft number, he enlisted in the USMC Technical Training Program in 1971. He graduated from USMC Boot Camp in the top 10% with two years of college. When he completed the required schools and training programs, he was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program and meritoriously promoted to Sergeant. He earned an A.A. degree from USNY, a Navy Campus for Achievement College, and was commissioned in 1973 after graduating in the top 10% from USMC Officer Candidate School. Later, he earned his B.S. from USNY, and an MSA (Administration) degree from Central Michigan. Colonel Menefee served as an Infantry Officer but spent but spent most of his career as an Intelligence Officer. He retired in 2001 from the Pentagon after serving on the Joint Staff (J-2) with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). His duties with the DIA included Analyst, Briefer, Deputy Director of Intelligence, currency intelligence, drug trafficking, money laundering, and liaison to the CIA and State Department.

Following the ceremony is a complimentary American barbeque and Vietnamese food luncheon at the park pavilion. To make your reservations for the complimentary luncheon, or for more information, contact James Runzheimer at 817-795-2020 or james@runzheimerlaw.com.

 

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