Veterans to hold annual vigil

Despite the unknown regarding the coronavirus, the Texarkana Area Chapter #278 Vietnam Veterans of America, are still planning to hold their 33rd Annual POW-MIA Vigil Sept. 18 and 19 at the Korea-Vietnam Memorial.

This yearly event, which started at about the same time the Memorial site opened near the West Seventh Street and North State Line Avenue intersection, has and still is being conducted to honor and remember those military service members who were and still are classified as either Prisoners of War for Missing in Action.

The ceremony will focus on military service members who returned from overseas as well as those still unaccounted for from all wars. Furthermore, the event’s purpose is to also raise awareness of this issue of unaccounted veterans, in order to let the families of these men and women know, that they aren’t alone in their quest for answers and for closure.

The vigil will collectively last 27 hours and 10 minutes - enough time to focus one minute per each American still unaccounted from the Vietnam War ( which now stands at 1,587), as well as one minute for each of the 37 Americans still unaccounted for from the Korean War, whose names are engraved upon the downtown memorial - in addition to three Americans unaccounted for from the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

The Vigil’s first day will consist of an opening ceremony starting at 5:20 p.m., Sept.18 (Friday) at the Memorial’s site, followed later in the evening, by a candlelight service at 8 p.m.

The next day, Saturday Sept. 19, events will include the 26th Annual “Ride to Remember” event which will be featured as a tribute ride in honor of local veteran Dwight Nevill who passed away recently.

The caravan, which will consist of street legal motorcycles, cars, trucks and big rigs, will start leaving the Arkansas Welcome Center on U.S. Highway 71, near the Red River, at 2:40 p.m. The procession will head south and cruise passed the Memorial at about 3:10 p.m. No alcohol, no drugs and no attitudes will be permitted.

Saturday’s events will close with a final evening candlelight service starting at 8 p.m.

For more information, call 870-773-8279, 903-556-1613 or at 903-824-2727