BETHEL – Eight veterans of the Vietnam War are expected to be present on Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Bethel Historical Society’s Dr. Moses Mason House meeting room for an oral history night where they will discuss their service.

The session will begin at 7:30 p.m. There will also be an exhibit with items included from that era.

As 2004 marks the 40th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which provided Congressional authorization for American involvement in Vietnam, it is deemed important to preserve some of the memories of the impact the conflict had upon the community and the nation. Anyone interested in attending the special program is invited to do so. There is no admission.

The lecture originally scheduled has been moved to the following week and will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Dr. Moses Mason House meeting room. Society Director Stanley R. Howe, who also serves as historian of the Maine State Grange, will discuss the history of Alder River Grange in East Bethel, which earlier this year observed its 100th anniversary.

Howe, a former master of Alder River, has served as treasurer of his grange since 1978. Howe’s book on the history of the grange in Maine, “A Fair Field and No Favor: A Concise History of the Maine State Grange,” was published in 1994.

An exhibit of Grange memorabilia will also be open during the lecture. Anyone interested in attending is invited. There is no admission.

The 2004 Bethel Historical Society annual fund campaign has passed the $19,000 level, with nearly 380 donors. Anyone wishing to make a tax deductible gift is asked to send to the society at P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217-0012.

Further information may be obtained by calling 824-2908 or 1-800-824-2910 or e-mailing info@bethelhistorical.org. Information can also be obtained by visiting www.bethelhistorical.org.