The VFW Post 2582 American Legion Post No. 57 will sponsor a Veterans Day Program at 11 a.m. Monday at Cedar Hill Cemetery on North Main Street. The guest speaker for the event will be Rear Admiral Steven W. Maas, Supply Corps, United States Navy and the Director of Logistics and Fleet Supply Officer aboard the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Commander Ray Nelms will serve as emcee of the program, which will include patriotic songs and the pledge of allegiance.

&uot;We hope that people will attend to get the spirit of what we are trying to do to make them realize that America is really not safe anymore and that it is going to take more than an ocean to keep the enemy from penetrating and hurting the American public,&uot; said Nelms, who has served in both the Army and Navy and fought in WWII and the Korean Conflict.

Maas is a native of Decatur, Ga. and earned a bachelor’s degree from Furman University; a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Puget Sound; and is a graduate of the Naval War College and the Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Commissioned in 1973, Maas was assigned to the Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group where he served as Officer in Charge of deployed detachments to Egypt, Diego Garcia and the Antarctic.

After graduation from Submarine School, he reported as supply officer of the Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN 640), completing three strategic deterrent patrols. He then served as supply officer of the attack submarine USS Indianapolis (SSM 697). Following this tour, Rear Admiral Mass was assigned to the Trident Refit Facility in Bangor, Wash., where he served as submarine supply assistance team and material support officer.

In 1982, Maas reported to the Staff of Commander, Submarine Squadron 14 homeported in Holy Loch, Scotland, where he served as the squadron supply officer. Following graduation from the Naval War College, he served as the Fleet Ballistic Missile staff director, Storage Division director and Industrial Support officer at the Naval Supply Center, Charleston, S.C. In 1988, he became the third officer in charge of the Naval Supply Systems Command Price Fighter, where he was responsible for engineering value analyses on spare parts and weapon systems.

Maas served as supply officer of the Submarine Tender USS L.Y. Spear (AS 36) from 1991-1993, deploying to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Storm. In May 1993, he reported as Director for Plans, Programs and Budget, Submarine Division. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

&uot;I hope that everybody who can will join us on Monday, especially veterans,&uot; said Nelms. Others scheduled to take part are Willard Branch and Fred Nelms.

In July 1996, Maas was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Supply and Financial Management for the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. He returned to the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as the Deputy Director, Supply Programs an Policy Division from July 1988-July 1999. From July 1999 to September 2000, Maas served as the Director of Supply Corps Personnel in Millington, Tenn. His previous assignment was as Commander, Navy Exchange Command.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and other personal and campaign awards. He is designated as both a Submarine and Surface Warfare Supply Corps Officer.