Orlando VA to host 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony and Global War on Terrorism Traveling Wall display

The keynote speaker will be U.S. Army Veteran Calvin Wimbish, who served more than 33 years of active, Guard, and Reserve duty before accepting several combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. A retired Green Beret, aviator, infantry-paratrooper, and military intelligence officer, Wimbish returned to Afghanistan as a military contractor after his military retirement.

As part of the commemoration, the Patriot Guard Riders will bring the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Traveling Wall to the Lake Nona campus Sept. 8–12. The wall honors service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terrorism. Spectators and viewers can stop by to find their loved one’s name Mon-Fri from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Volunteers from the Patriot Guard Riders will be available during the five-day display to assist guests in locating names on the wall and to answer questions about its significance.

“The wall is more than a display—it is a living reminder of the cost of freedom,” Wimbish said. “It gives families, fellow service members, and communities a chance to reflect, honor, and remember the men and women who laid down their lives in the fight against terrorism.”

Media representatives interested in attending and hosting media engagements are encouraged to contact the Office of Public Affairs by emailing vhaorlpublicaffairs@va.go or by calling . 

For more information, please visit: VA Orlando Health Care | Veterans Affairs, subscribe to receive email updates by clicking here, like us on Facebook at: @OVAHCS, follow us on Instagram at: @OVAHCS or on Twitter at: @OVAHCS.

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Established in October 2006, the Orlando VA Healthcare System (VAHCS) was designated a 1a facility (most complex) in 2021, with more than 5,660 employees and an annual budget of $1.5B and serves more than 131,000 Veterans in Central Florida. The Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona provides outpatient, inpatient and emergency services. Lake Nona’s 65-acre medical campus encompasses 134 acute inpatient beds, providing complex Medical/Surgical/Mental Health specialty care, advanced diagnostic services, and a large multispecialty outpatient clinic as well as a 120-bed Community Living Center, two Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs/Domiciliaries (60-beds located at the Lake Nona Campus and 58-beds at the Lake Baldwin Campus). Outpatient services are provided at a Health Care Center in Viera, a Multispecialty Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Daytona Beach, and five Community-Based Outpatient Clinics located in Clermont, Kissimmee, Deltona, Palm Bay and Tavares.