Veterans Day will be celebrated at the Veterans Honor Park of Lancaster County, 651 Kissel Hill Road, Lititz, on Sunday, Nov. 12, from 2 to 3 p.m. rain or shine. The Veterans Honor Park is adjacent to the Lititz Public Library.

The speakers will be Lei Nhung Williams and retired Air Force Gen. William T. "Tom" Hobbins.

Williams and her younger sister were the children of an American pilot and a Vietnamese woman. When the invasion of Saigon was imminent in the spring of 1975, their mother sent her Amerasian daughters on a U.S. helicopter to escape their war-torn country. Lei was 5 years old at the time. The girls spent several weeks in a refugee camp at Fort Chaffee, Ark., before being adopted by an American family. Williams became a teacher, wife, mother and grandmother.

An Ephrata native, Hobbins - a four-star general - retired as commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, commander of the NATO Allied Component Command, and director of the Joint Air Power Competence Centre in Ramstein, Germany. His command spanned three continents and 93 countries and territories. A command pilot, Hobbins has logged more than 5,100 flying hours, primarily in fighter aircraft.

The event is open to the public, without charge. Parking for the celebration is free, and guests are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs for seating. In the case of inclement weather, the event will move indoors to the Lititz Public Library.

After six years of planning, fundraising and construction, the Veterans Honor Park was dedicated in 2019 to all United States armed forces members who served honorably. The project was led by former U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran C. David Kramer, assisted by former U.S. Army Lt. Robert Kornman, Matt Knouse and Dan Zimmerman. They joined forces with Warwick Township to achieve a permanent tribute to the sacrifices made by all Lancaster County armed forces veterans in the name of freedom.

The Veterans Honor Park was funded entirely with private donations from more than 250 individuals, veteran service organizations, companies and corporations that contributed money, labor and materials.