ARRIVAL, PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

Friday Reception: The Welcome Reception hosted by the Run To Honor Shared Interest Group begins at 6PM on Friday at the Fluegel Alumni Center (FAC) (301 King George St.). Guests please park in the FAC's upper lot (overflow parking available across the street near Navy Baseball Stadium). Enter the building near the flagpoles, and proceed through the lobby downstairs to the Blue & Gold Bar.

Saturday Morning Memorial Hall Ceremony: All guests planning to attend the Saturday morning memorial ceremony in Memorial Hall at 12PM should park at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 31 Rowe Blvd, Annapolis, MD. Guests should arrive at the church parking by 10:45AM and not later than 11AM. Guests should print and display the provided parking placard on their dashboard for complimentary parking at the church all day (the lot is walking distance from the stadium following the game). Please note: the FAC is not available for parking on Saturday.

Shuttle Transportation to the Yard for the Ceremony: Complimentary shuttle bus service from St. Paul’s Church parking to the Naval Academy (“the Yard”) will begin running at 10:45 a.m. to transfer guests to the Submarine Monument near Memorial Hall. Each bus will have a guest list for base access. All guests must have a government issued ID to ride the shuttle bus. Gold Star families will meet their alumni or midshipman escorts at the Submarine Monument - these escorts are available to guide you to Memorial Hall and remain with you throughout the day, at the discretion of the family. 

Shuttle to Stadium (Post-Ceremony): Shuttles will depart the Submarine Monument promptly at 1:15PM post-ceremony to return guests to the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for the tailgate luncheon.

Alternate / Accessible Parking: Guests with mobility challenges or requiring special assistance and parking should contact Wes Huey, HOFH program manager, at wesley.huey@usna.com. Limited parking near the Memorial Hall can be arranged for these special cases. If you intend to use this option, please plan to meet your parking escort at the St. Paul church parking lot by 10:30AM.  

MEMORIAL CEREMONY 

Memorial Hall

Time & Location: The Memorial Ceremony is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Saturday, 7 November in Memorial Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy, a solemn and historic venue. 

 Key elements of the ceremony include: welcome remarks by Alumni Association leadership, Presentation of Colors & National Anthem, an invocation by a Navy chaplain, remarks by a distinguished guest speaker (to be confirmed for 2026), roll call “Salute to the Fallen” – reading the names of each honored fallen hero accompanied by a ceremonial bell toll and Taps, and a Benediction with the hymn “Eternal Father” closing the ceremony. 

Seating & Accessibility: All Gold Star family members and guests will be seated in the Chapel’s front pews by volunteer ushers (to ensure families are together and near the front). Mention any special accommodations available in the Chapel for those with mobility needs.

Meaning & Atmosphere: The ceremony is intended as a respectful and reflective tribute to the service and sacrifice of the fallen represented by their families in attendance, in the warm embrace of a supportive community. Attire for ceremony participants is business attire or service dress. Families and attendees who are attending the tailgate luncheon and football game following the ceremony are welcome to wear Navy spirit gear as they feel comfortable. Please note there will not be an opportunity to change clothes between the ceremony and luncheon.

TAILGATE LUNCHEON, MOMENT OF SILENCE, AND DEPARTURE

Time & Location: The Tailgate Luncheon is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, 7 November 2026 at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium's N-Star Room, near Gate D on the Navy (Blue) side of the stadium.

Guests will enjoy a catered tailgate-style luncheon where they can meet other gold star families and celebrate the lives and legacies of their fallen heroes.

At around 3PM, escorts will guide guests to their reserved seats in the stadium in time to watch the march-on of the Brigade of Midshipmen. Kickoff versus Temple is scheduled for 3:30PM.

At some point in the second quarter, the stadium announcer will call for a moment of silence to honor the fallen heroes represented by their families in the stands.

Guests are welcome to proceed to their cars in the St. Paul's church parking lot and depart at their leisure, concluding the days events.

IMPORTANT NAVY FOOTBALL GAME & STADIUM INFO

Game Details: The event includes tickets to the Navy Football home game on Saturday afternoon (7 November) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is anticipated around 3:30 p.m. versus Temple. All Honor Our Fallen Heroes guests (families and their registered escorts) will be seated together in a designated section of the stadium to watch the game.

Electronic Ticketing (E-Tickets): Electronic tickets will be provided for all registered attendees. Naval Academy Athletics uses mobile e-ticketing only – no physical tickets. Download the free “Navy Sports” smartphone app in advance. Ticket transfer process: each Gold Star family point-of-contact (the person who registered their family in myUSNA) and each alumni escort will receive an email (roughly the week of 31 Oct–4 Nov) from the event organizer with a link to accept their ticket transfer. They should accept the transfer promptly and can then access their tickets in the app. Family POCs should then forward or digitally transfer tickets to other family members before traveling to Annapolis. Only e-tickets on a mobile device will be accepted at the stadium gates.

Stadium Entry & Policies: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium clear bag policy and stadium security will inspect bags and scan electronic tickets at entry. Please have mobile tickets ready to display at the gate. Guests should plan to enter the stadium at Gate D, on the Navy (Blue) side of the stadium. There is no general parking at the stadium for this event – everyone should use the provided shuttle or St. Paul’s lot as described above, and print and put the parking placard in the car's dashboard.

WHAT TO BRING AND WEAR

Identification: All adult guests must bring a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or military ID) for each person, as ID is required for entry onto the Naval Academy grounds (for the memorial service event).

Bag Policy: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium has a Clear Bag Policy, which prohibits large bags or purses that are not transparent. 

Attire Recommendations: Note that the general dress code for the weekend is casual and comfortable, with an emphasis on Navy spirit attire. Families and guests are encouraged to wear Navy team colors or Gold Star family apparel if they wish. The ceremony and luncheon events are respectful but not formal; “gameday casual” attire is suggested. Ceremony participants (e.g., speakers and midshipmen in official roles or military attendees) may be in uniform or coat-and-tie as appropriate for the memorial service.

Weather & Comfort: Please prepare for typical early November weather in Annapolis (dress in layers or bring a jacket if needed). Part of the day includes outdoor activities (transit between venues, stadium seating), so plan accordingly (e.g., comfortable shoes, rain gear if forecast).

Other Items: Please bring fully-charge mobile devices (for e-ticket access and the Virtual Memorial Hall experience) - small American flags will be provided for the moment of silence tribute at the game. 

FAQs

Can we attend only the tailgate luncheon and game, and skip the memorial ceremony?
 Yes. Families or guests who prefer to attend just the stadium events are welcome to do so. We ask those not attending the Chapel ceremony to still park at St. Paul’s Church by 1PM on Saturday. You may then proceed on foot to the stadium and enter for the tailgate luncheon via Gate D in the N-Star Room between 1:30 and 2PM. (Please note: Guests will not be admitted to the luncheon area before 1:30PM). Event volunteers will be stationed at stadium entrances to welcome and guide you to the N-Star Room.

Is parking available at the stadium for the game?
No (except pre-arranged handicap accommodations). We provide complimentary parking for all Honor Our Fallen Heroes attendees at St. Paul’s Church (via the special placard emailed to families before travel). There is no general public parking included at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for our group, so please use the St. Paul’s lot and shuttles.

CONTACT INFO

Event Coordinator Contact: Event coordinator is Wes Huey ’87, Executive Director, Strategy & Legacy Programs, USNA Alumni Association & Foundation. Reach Wes at wesley.huey@usna.com, or by phone at 410-295-4023.

Additional Contacts: For information about the Welcome Reception hosted by the Run To Honor shared interest group, please contact Steve Swift '87, president, at steve.swift@verizon.net.

Support Acknowledgment: The entire Alumni Association & Foundation team and volunteer staff are dedicated to making the weekend memorable and meaningful. Please provide feedback or ask for help at any time.