(Lawrenceville, Ga., May 23, 2011) - Gwinnett County will host its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 30 at 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville. The public is invited to attend this observance to pay tribute to the men and women who have served honorably in the military, during wartime or peacetime, and to memorialize the fallen heroes who have sacrificed their lives to protect our nation. County officials will honor one serviceman who was killed in the line of duty this year.

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash and County Administrator Glenn Stephens will lead this year's ceremony. The keynote speaker will be Maj. Gen. Maria Britt, commanding general of the Georgia Army National Guard. Honor guard units from the Gwinnett County Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Sheriff's Departments and the Lawrenceville Police Department will also take part in the event.

One name will be added to the memorial under the Global War on Terrorism heading - Lance Cpl. Joseph "Ryan" Giese. Giese was assigned to the 2^nd Battalion, 9^th Marine Regiment, 2^nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based in Camp LeJeune, N.C. Giese's unit was on foot patrol during combat operations when an improvised-explosive device, or IED, was triggered, resulting in his death.

The Memorial Day Ceremony will be televised at 7:30 p.m. on May 30 on TVgwinnett, the county's local government access cable channel. This program and all TVgwinnett programming are also available streaming and on demand at www.tvgwinnett.com.

The Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial, located on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville, honors all Gwinnett residents who died in the line of duty in military or public service. The memorial opened in 2003 and was built with funds from private donations and Gwinnett County government. For additional information about the memorial, visit www.gwinnettfallenheroes.com.