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MCVA - Chesapeake Veterans Memorial

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1. Where is the Chesapeake Veterans Memorial located?

The Chesapeake Veterans Memorial is located directly in front of the City Hall / Chesapeake Municipal Building at 306 Cedar Road. 

2. Who designed the memorial?

The memorial was designed by Wayne J. Sarapata, a long-time member and former Chairman of the Chesapeake Mayor's Commission on Veterans Affairs. With the artistic assistance of Ms. Tami Koletski of Chesapeake, a conceptual drawing was made and given to Retnauer Designs Associates and Moffat and Nichols Engineering who provided the architectural and engineering expertise needed to finalize the plans. Along with many generous businesses and individuals, there were numerous Commission members whose efforts were pivotal to making the dream a reality. Most noteworthy were the efforts of such men as Ray Hurst, Al Horton, and Craig Vance; all volunteers and 100% patriots.

3. How was the memorial funded?

The Chesapeake Veterans Memorial was funded 100% by voluntary donations. No tax money was used in the construction.

4. How are donations being used?

All donations will be used for the continued installation of personalized bronze plaques, maintenance of the memorial, and to support Chesapeake's Veterans programs.

5. Is my donation tax deductible?

Yes. 100% of all donations to the Chesapeake Veterans Memorial Fund are tax deductible. Upon request, the Veterans Affairs Commission will provide donors a receipt for tax purposes.

6. How many brick pavers / plaques are there in the memorial?

There are 4,261 brick pavers / plaques in the memorial. As of January 22, 2023 there are 1,471 installed plaques on the pavers at the City of Chesapeake Veterans Memorial.

7. What is the inscription on the memorial?

"To Our Men and Women in Uniform, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You. The Grateful Citizens of Chesapeake"

8. Who is eligible to have a plaque placed in the memorial?

While the memorial is dedicated to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, anyone can order a plaque. Plaques not readily identifiable as honoring a veteran will be placed in a special donor area.

9. Must a veteran be deceased before having a plaque placed in memorial?

Absolutely not! We strongly recommend purchasing and installing your veteran's plaque before they make that transition into their last assignment. Why not show your appreciation and gratitude to your veteran while they are still here to enjoy the thoughtfulness? Who knows, it may even soften the impact of the impending last assignment.

10. Who can order a plaque?

Anyone may order a personalized plaque. Neither the donor nor the honoree must be Chesapeake residents.

11. How do I order a personalized plaque?

Order forms are available at the City Clerk's Office, 6th Floor, or at the Information Desk, 1st Floor, in City Hall. In addition, order forms can be requested by email.

12. Can I pay with a credit card?

The Commission can only take checks or money orders by mail. You can pay in person or mail your check and order form to:

City of Chesapeake Mayors' Commission on Veterans Affairs
306 Cedar Road
6th Floor
Chesapeake, VA 23322

13. How long does it take to receive a plaque once the order has been placed?

Plaques for our Veterans Memorial are manufactured by a company located in Oregon. Under normal circumstances, it takes 6 to 8 weeks to receive a plaque once the order has been placed. As a general rule of thumb, we strongly recommend that plaques be ordered at least 10 weeks before a desired delivery date. Please keep in mind when ordering a plaque that there is a significant increase in demand for plaques placed on the manufacturer during the months just prior to Memorial Day and Veterans Day which could possibly impact delivery time. Another consideration regarding delivery time is that the Commission generally will wait until they have a minimum of five plaque requests before making an order. This procedure is in place to save on shipping charges. Regardless of the number of plaque requests, an order is submitted monthly.

14. What is the most common mistake made when ordering a plaque?

The most common error that we see is trying to place too many characters on a line. The engraving process allows for three lines with eighteen characters per line. The order form has been designed with only 18 blocks because that is the maximum number of characters or spaces that can be inscribed on each line of the plaque. Trying to put more than one letter, number, space, or punctuation mark in a block will only delay your order until a member of the Veterans Commission can contact you to resolve the error. The Commission does not recommend running together names or words to save space, as it makes the finished plaque difficult to read. If you require assistance or suggestions in completing your order form, we are happy to help. Contact any Commission member or email us.

15. Can family members have their plaques placed next to each other?

Whenever possible, plaques ordered by a donor are placed together. The Commission will make every effort to honor special requests to place specific plaques together. To make a special request, simply write your request on the bottom of your order form. If there is a problem with your request, a Commission member will contact you prior to ordering your plaque.

16. Will I be called when my plaque is received?

The Veterans Affairs Commission will make every effort to contact the donor upon receipt of their plaque based on the contact information provided on the order form. If your plaque request is a surprise for the recipient and you wish to limit correspondence to a certain person or by email etc., just write a statement to that effect on your order form. Upon receipt of your plaque from the manufacturer, we will offer you three options for installation: 

1. Personal installs, which are great photo opportunities. These are very informal and usually take about 15 minutes. We are very flexible and can schedule this just about any time, weather permitting.
2. Installation during one of our formal ceremonies: Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The formal ceremonies provide the best photo opportunities due to the flowers, flags and uniforms. The number of plaques we can install during formal ceremonies is limited by time constraints. The sooner you inform us of your desire for a formal ceremony install, the better your chances for a reserved spot. You can also write this request on your order form upon submission. You will be called if your reservation to place your plaque at the formal ceremony can be accommodated.
3. If you do not desire a ceremony, a member from the commission will place your plaque at our next regular installation. You can verify the location of your plaque at this website. Just visit "Locate a Plaque" or contact the Veterans Commission directly.

17. How do I know where my plaque is located?

There is a listing of plaque inscriptions indexed by the last name on the plaque. This index is available for viewing online: Locate a Plaque

A weatherized stand for the index near the Veterans Memorial is planned for the future. An order form to purchase a plaque is available at the City Hall Information Desk.

18. How do I get answers to other questions about the memorial?

You may call the Chesapeake Mayor's office at 757-382-6151, email the Mayor's Commission on Veterans Affairs, or write to:

Mayor's Commission on Veterans Affairs
306 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, VA 23322.