For the first time in more than 30 years, an annual ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which honors those who fought in the war, will not take place at the historic site due to President Donald Trump’s military parade.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory and Father’s Day events, which are slated to take place the weekend of June 14, will instead move out of the District and to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, a decision that “was not made lightly,” the group said in a statement.
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“With setup and security measures before the parade on Saturday and recovery efforts on Sunday, it will be impossible to hold these events on the National Mall as planned,” the VVMF statement reads.
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The Vietnam veterans event is slated to take place on June 14, the same day the Army is set to celebrate its 250th anniversary with a grand military parade and celebration in Washington. The military parade, which Trump has pushed for since his first term, will kickstart a yearlong celebration leading up to America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.
The daylong Army festivities, which coincide with the president’s 79th birthday and Flag Day, will start with a festival and culminate with a parade that starts near the Washington Monument and the Ellipse in front of the White House and ends near the Lincoln Memorial — steps from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The move is mostly due to setup and security measures necessary for the parade and the recovery efforts needed afterward, according to the VVMF. The only alternative, the group said, would have been to cancel the event altogether, which would be “unacceptable as it would adversely affect the hundreds of families that already have paid for travel arrangements.”
With the move, the organization will erect a slightly scaled-back version of The Wall, the 10-foot granite structure that lists the more than 58,000 names of those who sacrificed their lives or went missing during the Vietnam War, in its new northern Virginia location, according to the statement. It will also include a replica of the In Memory Plaque and an on-site mobile education center for the events.
“VVMF remains committed to conducting the In Memory Ceremony and Father’s Day Rose Remembrance with the same level of respect and dignity that we always afford our veterans and their families,” the organization said. “The location has changed this year, but our commitment is steadfast.”
Trump’s military parade, which is estimated to cost between $25 million and $45 million, has raised some concerns about a large-scale event coinciding with the president’s birthday. Trump said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press that his focus would be on the history and patriotic aspects of the day, not on celebrating himself.
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“I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday,” Trump said. “Somebody put it together. But no, I think we’re going to do something on June 14, maybe, or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It’s a very important day.”
The parade will bring more than 6,600 soldiers and 150 military vehicles, and more to Washington. Local officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, have expressed concern about damage to the city’s streets from tanks and other heavy vehicles, saying parade organizers should have to cover the cost of any repairs.