Milton Memorial Day Celebration Features Major General

A major general from the Georgia National Guard will be guest speaker at Milton's fifth annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 28 at .

The theme of this year's ceremoney is honoring those who will never be forgotten. Communications Manager Jaso Wright said in his release that it is a pledge to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our brave servicemen and women who served their country valiantly throughout this nation's history. 

The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. and will feature local veterans, King's Ridge Christian School seventh-grader Sabastian Bower playing the Call to Colors, performer Lewis Shaeffer singing the National Anthem, Taps as performed by Bob Wright and Don Ware of Bugles Across America, and more.

Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, will be the ceremony's featured speaker. Butterworth commands the more than 14,000-member strong Georgia Department of Defense, which includes the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force. In this position, he reports directly to Gov. Nathan Deal.

In addition to his military career, Butterworth recently completed his service as a state senator for the 50th district. While serving in the state Senate, Butterworth served as chairman of the Higher Education Committee and vice chairman of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. He was also a member of the Appropriations and Natural Resources and Environment committees and served in an ex-officio capacity on the Economic Development and State and Local Government Operations committees.

Prior to his election to the state Senate, Butterworth served as chairman of the Habersham County Board of Commissioners.

The ceremony will conclude with a roll call of local veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Their friends and families are then invited to reflect upon the markers created to remember their legacy and placed along Deerfield Parkway by Councilman Bill Lusk.