Vigil for Fallen Soldiers
■ Greg Beck, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Post 278, speaks to the audience filled with veterans and civilians at the 31st annual vigil for prisoners of war and those missing in action on Friday at the Korean/Vietnam Memorial in Texarkana, Ark. The vigil started at 5:13 p.m. and will last until today with each minute representing a single soldier who went missing or was killed in action.
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 278 President Greg Beck and chapter members opened their 31st Annual POW-MIA Vigil Friday evening at the Korea-Vietnam Memorial in downtown Texarkana. The vigil continues today.
Along with the vigil, there will be the 24th Annual “Ride to Remember”event. This event calls for all participating street-legal motorcycles, cars, trucks and big rigs to depart from the Arkansas Welcome Center, on Interstate 30 near the Red River, at 2:40 p.m. From the center, the caravan will proceed south on U.S. Highway 71 for about a 20-minute journey to the memorial site. The caravan will arrive about 3 p.m. No drugs, alcohol or attitudes will be allowed at this event.
Once the caravan passes the memorial site, there will be a release of about 170 helium balloons in recognition of about 170 American service men and women still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. All 170 are from either Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma or Texas.
Following the balloon release, there will be a POWMIA Remembrance Service starting about 3:10 p.m.
As with the first day’s events, the second day will feature a closing candlelight service starting at 8 p.m.
The vigil is open to the public. For more information, call 870-773-8279, 903628-7216, 903-824-2727 or 903-556-1613.