After more than seven years of planning, the Manheim-area Veterans Memorial is ready to be unveiled. The public is invited to a dedication ceremony on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. at the memorial plaza, located adjacent to the Manheim Barons stadium on Memorial Drive.

The new memorial honors the service of all veterans, but especially those from Manheim and neighboring Penn and Rapho townships, who served in the military in peace and war. It includes flagpoles for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard flags as well as the Merchant Marines. The plaza also consolidates three other monuments from around Manheim, and it features an easily accessible site with a central gazebo for quiet reflection. Almost 400 memorial bricks have been placed around the plaza, highlighting veterans on the Path of Honor.

"The Manheim-area community has been very supportive and wonderfully patient. We know that there are many people who have been anxious to see the new memorial, and we look forward to welcoming them to the plaza," said George Schwartz, who heads the all-volunteer nonprofit Manheim Veterans Memorial Committee (MVMC). "We have had hundreds of people join the Baron Brick Brigade, so we encourage everyone who ordered a memorial brick before Sept. 10 to attend to find their bricks after the ceremony."

Prior to the official 11 a.m. start of the ceremony, local veterans will raise all of the service flags, Schwartz said, noting that Clarence Newcomber, a former Manheim resident who served in the Merchant Marines during World War II, is coming to town to raise that flag.

"Part of the plaza is set aside for the time capsule that was assembled during the 250th anniversary of the founding of Manheim Borough," Schwartz said. "So we are also coordinating with the former board members of the Manheim 250 committee for a small ceremony to dedicate that prior to the main ceremony, too."

During the veterans memorial dedication, benefactors and supporters of the project will be acknowledged, and Brig. Gen. John Pippy, land component commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard, will be the featured speaker. Music for the ceremony will be provided by the Manheim Central High School Band.

"We will close the ceremony with a piper playing 'Amazing Grace,' a bugler sounding taps and a rifle salute to remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom," Schwartz remarked. "We will not be cutting a ribbon, but we decided that the official moment of dedication should be when the American flag is raised. Manheim resident James Williams, who is a retired Army sergeant major and the founding chair of the MVMC, has been the heart and soul of this effort. Our committee wanted him to have the honor of raising our flag, and he will be assisted by representatives from our partners: the Manheim VFW and American Legion posts."

Schwartz invites everyone to come to the memorial dedication. "Just because someone may not know a veteran, it does not mean that they can't honor the service of veterans," he said. "I believe that this memorial will help us all remember and honor the courage and selfless service of everyone who wears our nation's uniform - past, present and future."

For more information, visit https://manheimveteransmemorial.org.