Alexandria honors 68 Vietnam War fallen heroes at Veterans Day ceremony
Friends of Rocky Versace hosts annual remembrance at Mount Vernon Recreation Center, recognizing all veterans and Gold Star families
Alexandria honored its 68 Vietnam War fallen heroes and all veterans during a Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday at Mount Vernon Recreation Center, with city officials and Gold Star families gathering to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Friends of Rocky Versace and the city’s Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities Department hosted the indoor ceremony, which drew nearly 100 people, including Councilman R. Kirk McPike, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey, and Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker.
Kevin Rue, representing the Friends of Rocky Versace, served as emcee and emphasized the importance of remembering the fallen heroes. The event featured the reading of all 68 names of Alexandria men who died or remain missing in action during the Vietnam War, including 45 soldiers, 15 Marines, five airmen, and three sailors.
Gold Star family members attended, including Sue Lilly Harvey, younger sister of First Lt. Larry Lilly, and Betty Stanley Miller, Gold Star widow of Henry Mershon Spengler. Curtis Versace, sister-in-law of Capt. Humbert “Rocky” Versace also participated.
Remembering Captain Versace
The ceremony highlighted Capt. Rocky Versace, Alexandria’s only Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War, whose remains are still missing in action. Versace, captured by the Viet Cong on Oct. 29, 1963, endured 23 months of captivity before his execution on Sept. 26, 1965.
“Despite combat wounds to his leg and weakened by the conditions of his captivity, he tried to escape three times,” Rue said. “He served as a shining example to his fellow prisoners of war by upholding the code of conduct.”
The ceremony included a tribute written by fellow prisoner of war Nick Rowe, who escaped in December 1968 and documented Versace’s courage in his memoir “Five Years to Freedom.”
“The last time his fellow POWs heard his voice, Rocky was loudly singing ‘God Bless America’ to boost their morale,” Rue said, explaining why the song remains part of every ceremony.
Representatives from the U.S. Military Academy classes of 1959 and 2009 placed a wreath at the Capt. Rocky Versace statuette during the ceremony.
Honoring all veterans
The Friends of Rocky Versace presented Vietnam Era Veteran Lapel Pins to qualified veterans who served on active duty between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975. Service in Southeast Asia was not required for the recognition, which is part of the Department of Defense’s 50-year commemoration of the Vietnam War.
The ceremony recognized all branches of the military, with veterans standing as their service was called. The recognition included the Army, which celebrated its 250th anniversary this year, and the Marine Corps, which celebrated its birthday the day before the ceremony, along with the Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
Deacon Steve Dixon from St. Rita Parish delivered the invocation and closing prayer, while Catherine Cassidy from Bishop Ireton High School performed the national anthem and patriotic songs. The St. Rita American Heritage Girls Troop 1381 led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Memorial maintenance
Seven of Alexandria’s 68 fallen heroes remain missing in action, representing a small portion of the 1,566 men who remain missing in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War. The POW/MIA flag flies at the memorial plaza for these seven men.
“Their bodies have never been returned to their families,” Rue said, noting that each missing serviceman has a cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Friends of Rocky Versace continue to monitor and maintain the memorial, which requires refurbishment scheduled for spring 2025. The initial estimate for repairs totals $47,000, with $10,555 contributed by supporters helping fund the project.
The Friends of Rocky Versace will host its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 26, at 11 a.m. at the memorial plaza.
Rue concluded the ceremony by pairing quotes from across the centuries: “Poor is a nation that has no heroes, but poorer still is the nation that having heroes, fails to remember and honor them,” he said, quoting Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, before adding President Calvin Coolidge’s warning: “A nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.”
