Nearly 100 people gathered in Kinston for a unique tribute to local veterans of the Vietnam War.
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 892 in Lenoir County organized the event to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the war.
The group also wanted to pay special recognition to those veterans who still remain "Missing In Action". And as it turns out, the original designer of the official "POW and MIA" flag has ties to the Kinston area.
Newt Heisley designed the flag in 1971. His great nephew Michael Heisley owns a business in Kinston. The veterans association presented his company, Field Controls, with a portrait of the elder Heisley and the flag that he designed. Local veterans say that the flag he designed has a special meaning to them.
The group plans to hold a candlelight vigil at 7:00 p.m. Friday at the Emma Webb Park in Kinston to observe national POW and MIA remembrance day.
