28th Annual POW/MIA Vigil Is This Weekend – September 4 and 5
This Friday and Saturday, the Texarkana Area Chapter # 278 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, will stage its 28th annual POW/MIA Vigil at the Korea/Vietnam Memorial at 7th street & Stateline Avenue in downtown Texarkana..
The vigil is to honor and remember those who people classified as prisoners of war and missing in action (POW/MIA), both those who returned and those still unaccounted for, from all wars, and to raise public awareness of this issue and to let the families of these men and women know they are not alone in their quest for answers and for closure.
The chapter will spend one minute for each American who is unaccounted for from the Vietnam war (1,627), and one minute for each American unaccounted for from the Korean war whose name is engraved upon the Texarkana memorial (37). As of now this is 1,664 minutes, or 27 hours and 44 minutes. These numbers & opening time may change.
The tentative schedule is:
Friday, September 4, 2015
- 4:46 pm - Opening ceremonies
- 8PM - Candlelight service
Saturday, September 5, 2015
- noon - POW meal
- 3PM - "Ride to Remember"
- 2:40PM - Leave Arkansas Welcome Center at Red River on Hwy 71 North of Texarkana
- 3PM - POW/MIA remembrance service
- 8PM - Closing Candlelight Service
Upon arrival of the "Ride to Remember" at the memorial, a balloon release of 176 balloons, one for each American unaccounted for from the Vietnam War from the States of Arkansas (15), Louisiana (24), Oklahoma (32) & Texas (105) will be conducted.
For more information contact Gregory Beck at 870-773-8279 or email him at usmcgreg@aol.com.