The Montana Veterans Memorial Association has announced the schedule of events for the Veterans Day Ceremony to be held at the Montana Veterans Memorial beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 11, 2023. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors to the nearby Centene Stadium.
The ceremony will begin with a welcome from MVMA Vice President Gina Winters and a Bells of Peace Remembrance bell ringing by members of the Montana Chapter of the U.S. Veterans Motorcycle Club.
Former television personality and United States Navy veteran Art Taft returns to serve as the master of ceremonies for the memorial event.
Personnel from Malmstrom Air Force Base will participate in the ceremony. Members of the 341st Missile Wing Base Honor Guard will present the colors and the invocation will be delivered by United States Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Trevor Wilson.
Music will again play a large part of the Veterans Day ceremony at the memorial. The Sound of the Falls Women’s Harmony Chorus will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.” Great Falls Pipe Band member Jesse Callender will play the “Bagpipe Salute” in honor of all United States armed forces veterans.
Cadets assigned to the local Air Force Junior ROTC high school program will lead the participants and audience in the “Pledge of Allegiance.”
The keynote speaker will be retired Chief Master Sgt. Roger Hagan. Hagan served 38 years as a member of the Air National Guard, retiring as a personnel superintendent assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters of the Montana National Guard. Hagan also served one term as a member of the Montana House of Representatives in 2013.
This Veterans Day military working dogs will also be honored at the memorial. United States Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Stetler will offer reflections on her service with a military working dog.
United States Army veteran Nick Morrison will speak about his service dog Pal. United States Air Force veteran Martina Gunter will also speak on behalf of Dog Tag Buddies, a program that helps veterans live more fulfilling lives by building relationships with service dogs.
The Veterans Day ceremony will conclude with a benediction presented by MVMA Chaplain Jim Porter and the sounding of “Taps.”
Those unable to attend the Veterans Day ceremony in person can listen to the broadcast live on Great Falls public radio 89.9 FM KGPR. The ceremony can be viewed on Facebook Live on the Montana Veterans Memorial Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mtvetsmemorial.
For more information on the Montana Veterans Memorial Veterans Day ceremony, please contact Richard Liebert at 406-590-9017 or email him at: wwranch@3rivers.net.
Veterans Day Ceremony. Photograph by MVMA Secretary Eric Peterson.
