Members of the West Point class of 1959 are joined by their spouses and children during a visit to the Capt. Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Memorial April 27 in Del Ray. Versace, a Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War POW/MIA, was a 1959 West Point graduate.
Photo contributed
Medal of Honor recipient Humbert “Rocky” Versace as a cadet at West Point.
The group made a visit to Alexandria’s Capt. Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located in Del Ray just blocks from where Versace grew up. The attendees included the West Point graduates along with their spouses and family members.
Friends of Rocky Versace representative Kevin Rue welcomed the attendees, providing a tour of the memorial along with its history. Some of those on-hand were present in July 2002 for the unveiling of the Versace statue and dedication of the plaza located in front of the Mount Vernon Recreation Center on Commonwealth Avenue. Many also attended the posthumous Medal of Honor Ceremony for Versace in the White House on July 8, 2002.
The Alexandria-based veterans’ organization, the Friends of Rocky Versace, briefed the USMA classmates on the effort that began in 1999 to remember Versace and honor the city’s fallen heroes from the Vietnam War.
Rue emphasized the critical role played by then-city councilman David Speck, who guided the proposed memorial through the planning and approval process. He also pointed out the addition of the name of MIA 1LT Lawrence E. Lilly on the memorial benches in November 2018 and the information signs placed at the entrances to the Plaza in May 2021.
Both of these recent enhancements were made possible by Alexandria Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Department Chief James Spengler, whose brother Capt. Henry Spengler was killed in Vietnam, and supervised by the Recreation Center Director, Elsie Akinbobola.
In addition to their visit to the Versace Plaza during their 65th reunion, the West Point classmates toured the National Museum of the U.S. Army on Fort Belvoir. A briefing on the “State of West Point” by USMA officials, a Memorial Service at the Fort Myer Chapel, as well as a farewell class dinner with entertainment by the West Point Alumni Glee Club were part of the reunion weekend.
The Capt. Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m.
Vietnam War Veterans Plaque Dedication
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 609 and American Legion Post 24, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, are memorializing Alexandrians who lost their lives in the Vietnam War with a plaque dedication ceremony on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. The plaque will be installed at the city's Monument to its War Dead, located at Alexandria Union Station,110 Callahan Drive.
“We must honor the bravery and sacrifice of our Vietnam War Veterans,” said director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, Gretchen Bulova. “These new plaques serve as a permanent reminder of their service and our gratitude.”
Officials will re-dedicate the “1940 Alexandria Monument to the City’s War Dead in All Wars” and unveil the plaque honoring the City’s 68 Veterans who died in the Vietnam War.
The memorial will take place at 9 a.m. rain or shine.
A second duplicate Vietnam War Veteran name plaque will be dedicated on the wall of the Gadsby’s Tavern building at 400 Cameron Street on June 14 (Flag Day) at 6 p.m.