Veteran Vigil

A U.S. Navy veteran and owner of a Linden diner says he plans to spend 24 hours in a bamboo cage to draw attention to Veterans Day Wednesday and to the plight of POWs and MIAs. Gene Davis says he still recalls the chilly reception he and other veterans received when they returned from Vietnam. Davis, 47, said he would begin the vigil at 7 p.m. Tuesday by getting inside the bamboo cage that is 6 feet high and 6 feet wide. "There is not too much room to walk around," Davis told The Star-Ledger of Newark, "but then again, the prisoners did not have much room either." Davis' vigil will take place in front of Linden City Hall. Veterans will distribute literature and light a candle every hour to honor the missing. Davis, who owns the White Crown Diner in Linden and served in the war as a Navy radioman, is secretary of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 779. He said he will take occasional breaks but will eat his meals inside the cage. Linden Mayor John Gregorio said he is supportive of Davis and the chapter's efforts. "They gave their lives in Vietnam and they're truly heroes," he said. "They fought a war that was so misunderstood. They made a hell of a sacrifice." RNN will bring you an interview with Davis and stories of other Veteran events in the area.