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Veterans memorial dedicated March 14

Port Orchard Independent - 2/29/2020

PORT ORCHARD — The newest veterans memorial will be unveiled in a special dedication ceremony on Saturday, March 14, in the lobby of the Kitsap County Administration Building, 619 Division St., in Port Orchard.

The ceremony will take place from 9-11 a.m. on that day. The event is hosted by the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association and will include members of the Combat Veterans International and the Kitsap County commissioners.

The memorial serves as a visual tribute to veterans honored during The Unforgotten Run to Tahoma, an annual ceremony in Port Orchard for unclaimed remains of deceased veterans, followed by a large motorcade accompanying them to burials with military honors at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent.

The memorial includes a 7-foot-by-5-foot plaque embellished with two scrolls, one containing the Military Oath of Office and the Oath of Enlistment as affirmed by those who've entered military service. The war-tattered flag represents the struggles of service members endured protecting their country, according to county officials. The six service seals represent all branches of service activated during wartime.

The memorial contains the names of 50 veterans, listed by the year they were recognized and interred. During the 2020 Run to Tahoma on May 23 over Memorial Day weekend, an additional five service members will be honored and interred, and their names added to the plaque.

The plaque is a gift to Kitsap County through the support of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, the Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board, the VFW Riders and the Combat Veterans International Chapter 11.