The East Tennessee Historical Society is sponsoring a brown bag lecture next week by Dewine Speaks and Ray Clift, who will speak about East Tennessee veterans in World War II.

The event will take place at noon June 15 at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. The event is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring a “brown bag” lunch.

Speaks and Clift will discuss their new book, “East Tennessee in World War II,” the first comprehensive account of the accomplishments of East Tennessee soldiers and civilians during the war.

The book will also be available to purchase and be signed following the lecture.

Speaks has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, where he was a member of the Volunteers baseball team. He served in the Air Force and the Tennessee Air National Guard and is a member of the East Tennessee Veterans Honor Guard.

He retired from Robertshaw Controls Co., where he was a national sales manager. He is a member of the Authors Guild of Tennessee and has published several works, including an international travel guide and a biography on Weston Fulton.

Clift holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UT. He holds a Ph.D. in business management from Walden University and served in the Air Force and the Georgia Air National Guard. Clift worked as an engineering graphics and mathematics instructor at the University of Georgia before joining Rohm & Haas Chemical Co., from which he retired.

The program is sponsored by the Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel & Crematorium.

For more information on the lecture, exhibitions or museum hours, call 865-215-8824 or visit http://www.EastTNHistory.org.