Memorial Day 2026

Join our Military Family in Griffin/Spalding for a Memorial Day Ceremony. See below for the Agenda and Press Release provided by our community partners.

•       The annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on May 25th at 11:00 AM. VFW Post 5448 is coordinating the event with support from Spalding County Parks and Public Grounds, GHS JROTC, Boy Scout Troop 8 (Sunnyside),  Marine Corps League 1196,  Haisten-McCullough Funeral Home, and Conner-Westbury Funeral Home. Bleachers will be available but feel free to bring your own chair.  If we have inclement weather, it will be held at the Senior Center. 

•       Our keynote speaker this year will be Major (Ret.) John Alderman. He was the Commander of E Trp, 108th Cavalry when the Griffin unit deployed to Iraq in 2005. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the unit's return to Griffin. We will also be hearing comments from Griffin Mayor Doug Hollberg.  As the program nears conclusion, helicopter pilots from the Spalding Co Sheriff's Office will perform a "Missing Man" formation to honor the fallen.  Please join us as we honor and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Memorial Day Program

Greetings - Chuck Clark

Presentation of Colors - GHS JROTC

National Anthem - Lisa Delk

Pledge of Allegience - Boy Scouts

Opening Prayer - Ronald McCrary

Presentation of Wreaths - GHS JROTC

"God Bless the USA" - Sylvia Hollums

Recognition of Dignitaries - Chuck Clark

Brick Dedication - Ricky Stephens

Casket Flags - Dan Hamm

Mayor's Remarks - Doug Hollberg

Introduction of Keynote Speaker - Ricky Todd

Keynote Speaker - MAJ (Ret.) John Alderman

Flag Fold and Presentaion - Marine Corps League 1196

Significance of Aerial Honors - Chuck Clark

Rifle Volleys/TAPS - Marine Corps League 1196

Missing Man Formation - SCSO

Colors Returned to Full Staff - Boy Scouts

Closing Remarks - Chuck Clark

Closing Prayer - Ronald McCrary

About Keynote Speaker Major (Ret.) John Alderman

Major John H. Alderman IV enlisted in the Army National Guard as a tank crewman in 1991 and was commissioned from North Georgia College as an Armor officer in 1995. He subsequently served as a Platoon Leader in A Co., 1-108th Armor Battalion. He transferred to Troop E, 108th Cavalry, in 1999 to serve as a tank platoon leader. He took Command of the Cavalry Troop in April 2002 and immediately began training it for combat deployment.

May 2005 through April 2006, Alderman led Griffin’s Cavalry Troop to Iraq and into the infamous Triangle of death, where the Troop served with distinction both in the kinetic and in the softer, civil-military aspects of the war. Notable were their building of a Security Council for a key suburb of Baghdad and the conduct of three successful nighttime air assaults. The Troop subsequently escorted convoys to and from the southern, western, and northern reaches of Iraq. Troop E’s combat missions were distinctive for their speed, intricate planning, exemplary small-unit leadership, and effectiveness.

Major Alderman briefly served as Intelligence Officer for 2-121st Infantry before being assigned as Commander of the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment October 2008 – November 2011. During his command, the detachment radically redefined the place of the MPAD in modern Defense Support to Civil Authorities operations and provided their newly designed standard operating procedures to units all over the country.

In January 2010, Alderman was named State Public Affairs Officer, responsible for public affairs across the 15,000-member Ga. DoD. Under his direction, the office executed a new communications strategy that was repeatedly recognized for excellence and leadership by the National Guard Bureau. In May 2013, Alderman transferred to the Army Reserves for a short tour as Public Affairs Officer for the 3rd Medical Command before retiring in 2015.

Major Alderman is a graduate of Armor Officers Basic Course, the Scout Platoon Leader Course, the Armor Captain’s Career Course, the Military Intelligence Officer Transition Course, and honor graduate of the Public Affairs Qualification Course. His awards include the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Air Force Achievement Medal. He is a Knight in the (U.S. Army) Order of Saint George.

Major Alderman’s civilian career includes time as a senior communications leader, writer, editor, and project manager for UPS, Cox Enterprises, Equifax, Sage Software, Colonial Pipeline, and Georgia Tech. He holds a B.A. in English from North Georgia College and an M.A. in English from Georgia State University and is a founding member of Darden Business School’s Leadership Communications Council. He begins his Ph.D. in English program in August 2026.