Local veterans, UMass theater students and staff will perform dramatic readings on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. from the best-selling book War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence.

The event is a part of the Twentieth Annual Veterans Day program put on by the Veterans Education Project (VEP).

“We’ve chosen letters and stories rich with life lessons that, in light of the current world situation and talk of war, are timely and most relevant,” said Rob Wilson, VEP director. “Whether they deal with every day happenings, profess devotion to spouses, mourn lost comrades, display incredible courage, denounce tyrants, or reveal the humanity of a once-hated enemy, these letters provide pure and eye-opening insights into the realities, sacrifices, and emotional costs of war.”

Three VEP veteran speakers will also share brief stories about their experiences as a part of the evening.

The speakers are Fritz Schnaittacher, a German-born Jew who fled Hitler’s army in 1933, George Williams, a Vietnam War veteran and Angela Atchison, a UMass alumnus who graduated from the UMass Army ROTC program and then served in Operation Desert Storm as an officer in charge of protecting chemical and biological weapons.

The event will be held in the Flavin Auditiorium of the Isenberg School of Management. For more information, call 253-4947.