Col. Paul W. Fellinger Jr., the garrison commander of the Presidio of Monterey, will be the keynote speaker of the Benicia Memorial Day ceremony on Monday at the Benicia Military Cemetery in the historical Arsenal district, Wallace Stephens, event coordinator, said.

Fellinger was commissioned into the infantry from Xavier University in 1990. His first duty assignment was platoon leader and company executive officer for the Third Battalion (mechanized), 15th Infantry at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Once he completed the infantry advanced course, Fellinger became the assistant operations officer and company commander at the Second Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C.

During his three years in that assignment, he deployed the company to Haiti to work with the United States Support Group there.

He also has been a small group instructor at the United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga., and the assignment officer at the Human Resources Command, Alexandria, Va.

After attending Command and General Staff College, Fellinger returned to the 82nd Airborne Division as a battalion operations officer and executive officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom I.

He was chosen to be the troop commander of the Assymetric Warfare Group in Fort Meade, Md., which deployed several times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

In 2008, Fellinger assumed command of the First Squadron (Airborne) 91st Cavalry, Schweinfurt, Germany. Under his leadership, that unit deployed in 2009 to Logar Province, Afghanistan. Later he was reassigned as a senior maneuver trainer at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, until coming to California to his current post.

Also participating in Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony is Command Sergeant Major Andrew J. Wynn, also from the Presidio of Monterey, who will recite the Military Oath of Induction.

Wynn is a Jacksonville, Fla., native who enlisted in the Army Nov. 13, 1986, and completed his training at Fort Dix., N.H., and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Ga., as a telephone central office repairman.

Among his assignments have been to Electric Light Maintenance (ELM) shops at the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) 67th Signal Battalion in Fort Gordon; the 17th Signal Battalion in Frankfort, Germany; the 440th Signal Battalion in Darmstadt, Germany; the 598th Third Shop Maintenance Company and 13th Corps Support Battalion at Fort Benning, Ga.

He also has been assigned to the 82nd and B Company, 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne division in Fort Bragg, N.C.; the U.S. Army Montgomery Recruiting Battalion with duty in the Huntsville Recruiting Company, Huntsville, Ala.; the 385th Signal Company, Camp Doha, Kuwait; the 519th Signal Company, Camp Stronghold Freedom, Uzbekistan; and the 519th Signal Company (Forward), Camp Stronghold Freedom, Uzbekistan.

Wynn has deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War; Operation Provide Comfort in Saudi Arabia; Operation Restore Hope, Somalia; the first Operation Enduring Freedom in Kabul, Afghanistan; Operation Iraqi Freedom in Kuwait; and the third Operation Enduring Freedom in Uzbekistan.

Among his medals and decorations are the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation with four oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement with four oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct, Armed Forces Expeditionary with Bronze Service star, National Defense Service with Bronze Service star, Southwest Asia Service with three Bronze Service stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary, Global War on Terrorism Service, Humanitarian Service , United Nations (Somalia), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwait Liberation (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and Kuwait Liberation (Government of Kuwait) medals.

Master of ceremonies for the Memorial Day Ceremony is Jerry Hayes, president of the Benicia Historical Society. The color guard will be from the 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the Army National Guard battalion with headquarters in Benicia.

This year’s ceremony recognizes James Vanier and his wife, Kathren, who have been caretakers of Benicia’s historic cemetery for many years.

The Benicia Military Cemetery, also known as the Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery, is the oldest military cemetery on the American West Coast, with graves that date to the 1840s. Many of the graves are marked “unknown,” since the names of the soldiers buried there have been lost.

The Military History Preservation Society will perform a rifle salute, and they’ll be wearing World War II uniforms in observance of the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, France, during World War II, often called D-Day.

Members and the military divisions they represent are Fred Klink, U.S. Navy 7th Naval Beach Battalion; John Fornbacher, U.S. Navy 25th Naval Construction Regiment (Seabees); Rusty Aquino, U.S. Army 4th Infantry Division; Roque Torres, U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division; Marc Cresci, U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division-Ranger; Senan Kennedy, U.S. Army Air Force Combat Glider Pilot; William Aquino, U.S. Army 29th Infantry Division; George May, U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment; and Mike Hagins, U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division 325th Glider Infantry Regiment.

Directed by Cora Martens, the Diablo Regional Concert Band will play musical selections. Benicia Girl Scouts Cadettes Troop 20076 will lead the Pledge of Allegience, and Larry J. Miller, retired U.S. Navy master chef and vice president of the Benicia Historical Society will say a prayer that introduces a moment of silence.

He will be joined by Joe Machado, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3928, and Kevin Brock, commander of American Legion Post 101, assisted by Benicia Boy Scouts Troop 8. in laying wreaths on the cemetery’s graves. Those graves include those of German and Italian prisoners of war.

A wreath will also be placed by Heather Graves and her dog, Rusty, on the graves of military pets buried at the cemetery.

Benicia Poet Laureate Lois Requist will recite some literary works, and Cristina and Shane O’Brien, siblings who are winners of numerous awards for trumpet, will play taps and “Reprise.”

Last year, the ceremony had no flyover, Stephens said. This year the event will have a special and unusual flyover, a helicopter provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Benicia Memorial Day ceremony will start at 10 a.m. Monday at the Benicia Military Cemetery, on Hospital Road in the Benicia Arsenal Historic District.