Vice President Dick Cheney

Vice President Dick Cheney will attend the first day of the upcoming Battle of Chickamauga anniversary, which will be held Sept. 19-21 in Chickamauga.

“There will be an opening ceremony that Friday (Sept.) 19th and he will be here for that,” said Chickamauga Manager John Culpepper, who is one of the key organizer for the event.

The opening ceremony will be at 1 p.m. A special stage will be set for Cheney.

Cheney visited Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in September 2003. Cheney’s great-grandfather, Capt. Samuel Fletcher Cheney of the 21st Ohio Volunteer In-fantry, served in the battle the became known as the “Gettysburg of the West.” The opening ceremony will commemorate the service of his great-grandfather and the men who fought in the battle.

Cheney will speak at the opening ceremony. The event will also commemorate the 145th anniversary of the first awarding of the Medal of Honor for which the vice president has a unique family tie.

Walker County will commemorate the Battle of Chickamauga with a three-day celebration that is expected to draw thousands of re-enactors and spectators.

The Civil War battle took place Sept. 18-20, 1863, and was one of the bloodiest battles in American history.

Walker County’s 145th anniversary celebration of the battle will take place at Davis Crossroads in Chickamauga.

An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 re-enactors are expected to attend the event, including 1,000 from Virginia.