Six hundred and thirty children will be the feature attraction in Monday's Center City parade preceding the dedication of the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Penn's Landing.
The children - 315 from public schools and 315 from parochial schools - each will carry the name of the 630 Philadelphia servicemen killed in the
Vietnam war.
More than 5,000 persons, representing more than 75 agencies, are expected to march in the parade, according to Ed Scott, secretary of the Philadelphia
Vietnam Veterans and a coordinator of the march.
Among those taking part are units from each of the armed forces, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War representatives, Shriners, a Temple University ROTC group and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Scott said there also will be several floats in the line of march as well as the Police and Firemen's Band and several other musical groups.
He said organizations from Delaware, Maryland and all parts of Pennsylvania will participate.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the Art Museum. It will move down Benjamin Franklin Parkway to 19th Street, south on 19th to Chestnut Street, east on Chestnut Street to Front and south on Front to the memorial site atop I-95 near Spruce Street.
The $600,000 stone memorial, engraved with the names of all 630 Philadelphians who lost their lives in Vietnnam, is to be dedicated in ceremonies beginning at 1 p.m.
