Laying plans for The Wall That Heals

The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial, is 250 feet long and holds the names of 58,220 men and women killed or declared missing in action during the Vietnam War.

Students from the nearby Living Hope Fellowship School will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and Curly Tinsley, at 86 Thebes' oldest veteran, will lay a wreath at the memorial during the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Aug. 29. Veterans organizations will post the colors.

Thebes Mayor James Sutton will deliver the opening remarks at 11:30 a.m. A POW/MIA candlelight vigil will be held at 5 p.m. Aug. 30.

Lisa Hale, Joyce Hale's sister-in-law, is the chairwoman of the event. She helped organize the Thebes Junior Volunteers, a group of about 20 teenage and younger residents who have being doing community projects and taking excursions. They bought 50 flags to post at the site.

At 7 p.m. Aug. 30, some members of the Thebes Junior Volunteers -- Amy Kennedy, Brandon Jones, Yvonne Osorio, John Kennedy and Jessie Cohen -- are going to begin reading the names of those who died or are missing in Vietnam, Amber Kennedy and Hope Franklin are going to recite poems. Ada Osorio, the initiator of the project, will give the closing remarks.

The Egyptian High School senior will thank people for coming and read a patriotic poem.

With the costs of providing electricity, feeding volunteers, printing brochures and other fees, Patty Osorio of the Thebes Junior Volunteers figures the total cost of the project at about $6,000. The Junior Volunteers have donated $900 they raised through bake sales, roadblocks and raffles. Alexander County donated $3,600, and another $2,000 was received from Vets Now, an organization based in Rockford, Ill.