Virginia War Memorial Honors Kitchen Family
The memorial's 70th annual Veterans Day ceremony in Richmond recognized service members, students and Blue Star families.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Military
The Virginia War Memorial held its 70th annual Veterans Day ceremony in Richmond on Wednesday, November 11. Paul and Retsy Sea Kitchen of Richmond were named 2026 Virginia War Memorial Military Family of the Year.
Why it matters
The ceremony marks seven decades of the memorial's annual Veterans Day observance in the Richmond area, recognizing local military families and service members. The honors highlight the sacrifices and service traditions of families connected to the commonwealth.
The 70th annual observance marks a long-running tradition at the memorial. The Kitchen family has four children who have served or continue to serve, with deployments described as typically 11 to 12 months.
The players
Virginia War Memorial
The Richmond-based memorial honors Virginia's military personnel and veterans and hosts its annual Veterans Day observance.
Abigail Spanberger
Abigail Spanberger is the Governor of Virginia, who recognized service members, students and Blue Star families at the ceremony.
Ghazala Hashmi
Ghazala Hashmi is the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, who presented the 2026 Military Family of the Year honor to the Kitchen family.
The details
Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi presented recognitions during the ceremony, which honored several service members, commonwealth students and Blue Star families. Lt. Gov. Hashmi presented the Military Family of the Year honor to the Kitchen family, which has a strong tradition of Navy service.
Timeline
Wednesday, November 11, 2026: Virginia War Memorial holds its 70th annual Veterans Day ceremony in Richmond.
Political Context
The memorial's Military Family of the Year honor continues a seven-decade tradition of recognizing military families at its annual Veterans Day ceremony. The 2026 recognition of the Kitchen family, with four children who have served or continue to serve, follows that established pattern of honoring multigenerational military service.
The ceremony offers Richmond-area residents a public occasion to recognize veterans and military families at the Virginia War Memorial. Residents interested in military service recognition can attend the memorial's public observances.
The takeaway
Recognizing multigenerational military families, such as the Kitchen family with four children in service, highlights how service traditions are carried forward across generations. Local residents can honor veterans by attending memorial observances and supporting military families in their communities.
Further reading
Explore more military news in Richmond as the commonwealth marks Veterans Day.
