Virginia WWI and WWII Commemoration Commission
Virginia War Memorial and the
Virginia World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission
WELCOME HOME, DR. HEILMAN!
Hosted by the Virginia War Memorial, Richmond, Virginia, May 25, 2016
In 2015, Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, who served in World War II as a young Marine during the battle of Okinawa, rode by motorcycle more than 6,000 miles from the East Coast to the West Coast to mark the 70th anniversary of the last and biggest battle of the Pacific Theater in WWII, which lasted 82 days (April 1 to June 22, 1945) and claimed the lives of 14,000 Americans and more than 250,000 Japanese.
In 2016, in celebration of his 90th birthday and to recognize the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entry into World War II, Dr. Heilman recreated the cross-country motorcycle ride. In honor of the more than 2,000 who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dr. Heilman traveled through states that had namesake ships that were hit by bombs and torpedoes and lost crew members during the attack.
(Photo courtesy of the Virginia War Memorial)
(Photo courtesy of the Virginia War Memorial)
(Photo courtesy of the Virginia War Memorial)
The "Welcome Home, Dr. Heilman!" commemoration event was held Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 9:30am - 11:00am at the Virginia War Memorial, in Richmond, VA
For more information on Dr. Heilman's ride and Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive, please visit: www.spiritof45.org
