America's 400th Anniversary Salutes the Military

America's 400th Anniversary Salutes the Military

Celebration of Victory at Yorktown Bridges America's Beginnings and Independence

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, America's 400th Anniversary kicked off a four-day Signature Event celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Victory at Yorktown, VA, the decisive victory of America's war for independence. As part of this Signature Event, Jamestown 2007 and its partners and sponsors are hosting a special evening on October 19, which includes a special symphonic arrangement and stage performance honoring the continued commitment of the men and women of the armed forces who maintain American liberty.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGO )

The events in Jamestown and Yorktown, VA, were separated by nearly two centuries, but they are forever linked in American history as the beginning and end of British rule in what became the United States. The British established America's first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, VA, in 1607. Nearly 175 years later in 1781 on a battlefield in Yorktown just 15 miles away, America ended the Revolutionary War and established its independence from Great Britain.

"This tribute to the victory at Yorktown celebrates the beginnings of our nation, and recognizes the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform have made to keep us free," said Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and honorary chairman of the Victory at Yorktown celebration.

The four-day celebration remembering the 225th anniversary of the defeat of the British by General George Washington at Yorktown features a special symphonic arrangement and stage production that were produced exclusively for the opening day ceremony, which will be performed on October 19 at 6:30 p.m. "We Salute You -- An American Symphony" is a colorful multimedia tribute to the military performed by the Williamsburg Symphonia in a live action dramatic spectacle. The evening ends with a spectacular fireworks display over the York River.

The weekend also features a re-enactment of the final battle of the Revolutionary War, which includes the participation of more than 3,000 individuals from around the world. The salute to the military continues throughout the weekend with parades, patriotic ceremonies and interactive displays at the Yorktown Battlefield, Riverwalk Landing and the Yorktown Victory Center. A full schedule of events is available online at http://www.jamestown2007.org/se-yorktown225.cfm.

Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating events to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Jamestown is where the nation's traditions of representative government, free enterprise and multi-cultural society were established. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies began in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America's 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC), The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Verizon (NYSE:VZ). Other supporters include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., AirTran Airways (NYSE:AAI), Dominion, James City County, Philip Morris USA, SunTrust, Wolseley PLC/Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. and TowneBank. More information about the commemoration is available at http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/.

"The 225th Anniversary of the Victory at Yorktown," Oct. 19-22, 2006, is a cooperative effort of the Celebrate Yorktown Committee, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Jamestown 2007, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, National Park Service, York County and the Yorktown Day Association. The four-day celebration is a signature event of America's 400th Anniversary, commemorating the nation's beginnings with the 1607 founding of Jamestown as America's first permanent English settlement.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Jamestown 2007

CONTACT: Kevin Crossett of Jamestown 2007, +1-757-253-4534,
kevin.crossett@jyf.virginia.gov, or Robin Crawford of Ruder Finn,
+1-202-974-5025, crawfordr@ruderfinn.com, for Jamestown 2007

Web site: http://www.jamestown2007.org/se-yorktown225.cfm
http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/

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