On Sunday, September 25, 2011, the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. had the distinct honor of hosting three events at Arlington National Cemetery commemorating 50 years of the Peace Corps. These events included a private wreath laying ceremony for families of fallen Volunteers at President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite, an inspirational spoken and musical program at the Memorial Amphitheater, and a celebratory walk of flags across the Potomac River representing all 139 countries Peace Corps Volunteers have served.
Our comprehensive report covers every stage of the event
The official program for the event, courtesy of Linden Resources
A collection of speeches and logistical materials for speakers
Organizing and training documents for the 120 volunteers involved
Miscellaneous planning documents, meeting notes and diagrams.
Fundraising letters, notes and reports
The parade was an event unto itself coordinated between 3 agencies
Links to download original photos
Appropriately, the day’s events were planned, funded and carried out entirely by volunteers. Throughout the year-long process, we relied on the values we refined during our Peace Corps service: patience, perseverance, cooperation, and, most of all, relentless optimism.
The purpose of this page is to showcase not just the final product, but also the operation behind it. RPCV/W has a long history of leading Peace Corps anniversaries, and this page will preserve that legacy for future planners.
All images are also public as albums on our Facebook Page, just click the images below.