Military and veteran leaders to honor armed forces in Memorial Day ceremony

LITTLE ROCK — State military and Veteran leaders will honor members of the Armed Forces who died protecting our nation during a ceremony at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock Monday, May 27 at 10:00 a.m.
Retired Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, will participate in laying a ceremonial wreath alongside Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas Veterans Commission Chairman Jason Smedley and ADVA Cemetery Division Director Darrell McGhee. The ceremony will also include a tribute for 16 Veterans who have been interred at the cemetery in the past year.
Smedley, a Marine Corps reserve officer and two-time Veteran of the Iraq War will serve as the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

"On this Memorial Day, we pause to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Their courage and dedication remind us that the freedoms we enjoy are not free, but paid for with the lives of our heroes. As we remember their valor, let us also recommit ourselves to supporting their families and upholding the values for which they fought. " – Retired Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs
ADVA operates two Veterans cemeteries in the State of Arkansas in Birdeye and North Little Rock. The cemeteries are open to the public from sunrise to sunset. For more information visit www.veterans.arkansas.gov.