MARION - Motorcyclists from throughout Southern Illinois are invited to escort the truck carrying the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall en route from Pennsylvania to Marion.

Participants are to gather at the IGA store and strip mall in Mount Vernon at about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 3. Mount Vernon Police will meet the truck first at the intersection of Interstate 64 and Illinois 37 and escort the truck two miles north to the designated gathering area.

The procession of hundreds of motorcycles will then travel south along Illinois 148 passing through Sesser, Christopher, Zeigler, Herrin and Energy to the Old Route 13 intersection south of Illinois 13 and turn east toward Marion.

After passing through Tower Square in Marion, the caravan will turn north on Market Street to DeYoung, or Illinois 13, and then west to the Illinois Centre mall. There, the wall will be assembled by members of the Marion High School football team and other volunteers at about 7:30 p.m. There will be a reception at the mall afterward, followed by dinner.

The assembling will be done under the guidance of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute, a group of veterans committed to traveling the country to honor, respect and remember those who have served and to pay specific tribute to those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Marion Main Street and the city of Marion are sponsoring the exhibit, which runs Sept. 3 through 8. The wall is an 80 percent replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. It is 370 feet long and eight feet high at its apex. The wall will be on display at the shopping center's south parking lot and will be lit up at night under full security.

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805

Motorcyclists who want to participate should meet at the Mount Vernon IGA store at about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 3.

For more information or to make a financial contribution to Marion Main Street for sponsoring the event, contact Jo Loomis at 964-9753.