JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Fort Richardson National Cemetery is hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at noon, May 27, to honor our nation’s fallen heroes.
Ceremonial music begins at 11:30 a.m. The keynote speaker for the ceremony is Michelle Kwok, the executive director for the National Cemetery Administration’s Pacific District. The ceremony concludes at 1 p.m.
To streamline access for the public to attend this free event, the right-hand traffic lane of the Fort Richardson Gate will be dedicated for controlled, direct access to and from the Fort Richardson National Cemetery.
There will be no need to stop at the Richardson Visitor Control Center to receive a JBER visitor pass between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.; visitors going to the National Cemetery between these hours will simply enter the Richardson Gate through the right lane and be directed on a specified route to the cemetery parking areas. Those who arrive prior to 10 a.m. or after 12:15 p.m. will be directed to the Richardson Visitor Control Center to obtain a visitor pass via the normal process.
Once the ceremony has ended and guests have completed their visit at the cemetery, they will be directed off the installation via the same route they entered.
All U.S. citizens 16 or older requesting access to the cemetery outside of the hours listed above should expect criminal background checks for potential disqualifying information and, upon successful screening, will be issued a visitor pass.
Non-U.S. citizens must have a Department of Defense-affiliated sponsor to escort them onto the installation and must have requested access to JBER four weeks in advance to have additional screening completed.
The direct-access process on May 27 is to and from the Fort Richardson National Cemetery, and for the official Memorial Day ceremony only. Patrons found outside of the designated areas may be charged with trespassing.
Media outlets interested in covering the Memorial Day ceremony must RSVP no later than 3 p.m. May 24, to ensure base access to the event. Please provide the name of the reporter, media outlet and contact number by sending an e-mail to jber.pa.mediaops@us.af.mil or call 907-551-8995.