Veterans Tom Burke, left, and Ed Wilkinson place a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on April 24, 2025, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON — An annual ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that honors veterans who died after returning home from military service in Vietnam will be moved for the first time in more than three decades to a site outside the nation’s capital to make room for the Army’s 250th anniversary parade set for June 14.

The “In Memory” ceremony will move to the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, a private memorial in Alexandria, Va., according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the event sponsor.

The “Father’s Day Rose Remembrance,” a second event by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund scheduled for June 15, also will shift to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, according to the veterans organization.

Replicas of the Vietnam Wall and In Memory Plaque that honor service members at the memorial on the National Mall will be erected at the off-site ceremonies, organizers said.

The pair of events fall on the same day that thousands of troops will march in downtown Washington to the National Mall to recognize the Army’s anniversary, which also President Donald Trump’s birthday. The military celebration, estimated to cost up to $45 million, will include live music, a flyover and an address by Trump.

“I don’t like it,” said Army veteran Mike Archer, 73, who fought in Vietnam in 1970, when he was 18 years old.

Archer, who lives in Arizona, said he visited the replicas twice as traveling exhibits, after touring the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Though Archer, a former specialist 4th class, said he appreciates the gesture of trying to re-create the experience at ceremonies next month, he said the events will not compare to visiting the memorial site itself.

“Visiting the wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is sacred. This is like putting up a model of the Statue of Liberty. It doesn’t have the same oomph,” he said.

About 2,200 people have registered for the weekend ceremonies, organizers said. Archer said he does not plan to attend.

But changing the location was the only option, other than canceling both ceremonies altogether, according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

“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 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund said in a prepared statement.

An estimated 200,000 people are expected for the daylong Army anniversary celebration, which will culminate with the military parade at 6:30 p.m. The procession will include dozens of tanks and other military vehicles that will roll along a parade route from the Pentagon to the National Mall.

About 35 families canceled their participation in the separate ceremonies honoring Vietnam veterans, citing the parade or relocation of the event away from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, said Heidi Zimmerman, vice president for programs and communications at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

But Marsha Devine of western New York said she and her adult children and grandchildren still plan to attend the off-site ceremonies in Virginia, where the military service of her late husband, Tom Devine, will be honored.

Navy veteran Tom Devine, who served from 1965 to 1971, will be formally remembered at the “In Memory” ceremony. “Thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their service. The ‘In Memory’ program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized,” according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. (Marsha Devine)

Tom Devine, a Navy veteran who served from 1965 to 1971, will be formally recognized at the “In Memory” ceremony. Tom Devine served two tours in Vietnam participating in helicopter search and rescues, his wife said.

“Tom’s experiences in Vietnam and exposure to Agent Orange resulted in a lifelong battle with [post-traumatic stress disorder] and multiple Agent Orange disorders,’‘ she said. He had been diagnosed with liver and prostate cancer prior to his death in 2022, she said.

The In Memory ceremony next month will honor 774 Vietnam veterans whose names will be read aloud.

“I was momentarily disappointed that [the events] would not be at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. But we will still have access to the memorial site as I understand it. It’s really the recognition that matters,” said Marsha Devine, who previously visited the Vietnam Wall and has seen traveling exhibits with the replicas.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund accepts applications each year for veterans to be added to an In Memory honor roll and to be recognized at the ceremony.

“Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their service. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund believes all those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service. The In Memory program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized,” according to the organization’s website.

Marsha Devine said she applied in 2024 for the recognition and was notified by email of her late husband’s inclusion. A veteran’s military-issued service record verifying service in the Vietnam War, as well as a death certificate, are required with an application.

The names of more than 6,500 veterans have been added to an In Memory honor roll since the program began in 1993, according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

A plaque at the Vietnam Wall honors these veterans and states: “In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund “remains committed to conducting the ‘In Memory Day 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 location has changed this year, but our commitment is steadfast,” the organization said.

The “In Memory” ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans who died after returning home to the U.S. will be moved to the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, a private memorial in Alexandria, Va., to accommodate the 250th Army anniversary on the same day. (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund)

George Washington Masonic National Memorial is eight miles from the National Mall. It is a private memorial funded and built by the Freemasons. The campus at 101 Callahan Drive often is used for large outdoor events.

Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the three-quarter-scale mobile replica of the Vietnam Wall, called “The Wall That Heals,” as well as a replica of the In Memory plaque and a mobile education center.

The wall will be illuminated at sunset during the weekend activities to call attention to Vietnam veterans with illnesses from exposure to Agent Orange.

Archer said he has considered submitting the name of his late brother, John Marion Archer Jr., who also was a Vietnam combat veteran, for the In Memory honor roll.

Archer said his brother died of Parkinson’s disease in 2019 connected to Agent Orange exposure. His brother served in the Navy from 1965 to 1969 with two deployments to Vietnam.

“I hope to go back to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial again. It was a humbling experience to say the least,” said Archer, who is 100% disabled from Agent Orange exposure and from PTSD related to 11 months of combat in Vietnam.

“Having the In Memory Day Ceremony is tremendous. A lot of my buddies died after they returned home from the war. I guess I was more fortunate. Many were young too,” Archer said.