Remembering and honoring American military servicemen and women who are still classified as either prisoners of war or missing in action will be the focal point of a two-day vigil later this weekend.
The Texarkana Area Chapter #278 of the Vietnam Veterans of America will be holding their 29th annual POW-MIA Vigil Friday, Sept. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Korea-Vietnam Memorial near West Seventh Street and North State Line Avenue.
On the vigil's first day, the opening ceremony will start at 4:53 p.m. Friday at the memorial and conclude later that evening with an 8 p.m. candlelight service.
The vigil's second-day events on Saturday will include the 22nd annual "Ride To Remember," which will start at 2:40 p.m. from the Arkansas Welcome Center on U.S. Highway 71 North near the Red River. This caravan, which will include any and all street legal cars, trucks, big rigs and other vehicles, will proceed south on U.S. 71 to the memorial and reach the vigil site by about 3 p.m.
Following the caravan's arrival, 175 balloons will be released in honor of 175 Vietnam War veterans from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas who are still classified at MIA and unaccounted for.
Following the balloon release, the vigil's POW-MIA remembrance service will start at about 3:10 p.m., and a final candlelight service will conclude the event at 8 p.m.
For more information, call 870-773-8279, 903-628-7216 or 903-824-2727.