(Lawrenceville, Ga., Nov. 8, 2022) – Gwinnett will recognize those who served in the military during its annual Veterans Day Ceremony this Friday at 11 a.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center located at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

The ceremony will be held in-person with an option for residents to tune in live via the County’s Facebook page @GwinnettGov.

The ceremony will commence with a Veterans March at the memorial. All veterans who served honorably are encouraged to participate and be honored for their service and sacrifice.

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Dolores Hampton, a motivational speaker, community psychologist and counselor, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony.

In the Army, Col. Hampton served as commander of the Army Medical Detachment, which took care of critical specialty Army Reserve physicians and nurses. She also previously served as the Inspector General for the U.S. Army Reserve Command at Fort McPherson, responsible for overseeing all Reserve unit inspections and complaints across the country. After a 26-year career, she retired in 1997. Hampton’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Medal.

Hampton remains active in her community as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the first president and president emeritus of the National Association of Black Military Woman, a member of Ben Hill United Methodist Church and the Metro Atlanta Kiwanis Club.

The County hosts its Veterans Day Ceremo­ny each November to pay tribute to those in the military during wartime or peacetime. Gwinnett residents who have served in any branch of the armed forces and their families are invited to participate. Likewise, all residents are encouraged to attend to show appreciation to those who helped protect and defend the country.

In addition to live streaming on Facebook, the Veterans Day Ceremony will be televised beginning at 8 p.m. on Nov. 11 on TV Gwinnett, the County’s local government access cable channel, and will be available streaming and on demand at TVGwinnett.com.

For more about the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial, visit GwinnettFallenHeroes.com.