VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Hard times have befallen a beloved local military landmark, but some kind souls are pitching in to help.
Standing tall since 1972 to light the way home for prisoners of war and missing in action personnel, the Flame of Hope on Oceana Boulevard has seen better days.
The monument began as a tribute specifically to MIA Naval aviators from the Vietnam War; the idea was to keep the flame burning until all of the more than 1,500 troops from that war and the 81,000 missing from all of America's wars return.
But time and Mother Nature have taken a toll on the Flame of Hope, and now, 52 years later, the flame has gone dark. The primary problem is a deteriorated gas line
Retired Navy Commander Carroll Bains -- a former pilot and member of the Hampton Roads Association of Naval Aviation squadron -- says getting the flame re-lit would be a really big deal to a lot of people.
"Well, for those of us who were in Vietnam, sure. Because they were comrades that we flew with, many of the guys from out of Oceana who flew in the attack squadrons," he said.
The Virginia Beach Jaycees are stepping up in a big way, sponsoring the "Barbecue for the Brave Flame of Hope Memorial Fundraiser" at Back Bay Farm House Brewery Company on Kempsville Road on Friday from 3 to 9 p.m.
