The Geary County Veterans Alliance will sponsor their annual Memorial Day program on Monday, May 27th at 10 a.m. at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

Alliance spokesperson Brenda Boyd said the Military Affairs Council Director for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Craig Bender, will serve as the keynote speaker. She noted the ceremony will include the posting of the colors, “Virginia Lawrence will do our invocation and our benediction. The Junction City Community Band will play for us. They always start off their season by playing for the Geary County Veterans Alliance.

Bender recently retired from the U.S. Army before becoming the MAC director. During his time in the Army, Bender served as the Battalion S6 for 1-13 Tank Battalion in 3rd Brigade, 1 AD and deployed with the brigade to Iraq, he served as the Brigade S6 for the 1st Aviation Brigade, and deployed with that brigade to Afghanistan and as Deputy Division G6 at Fort Rley.