Article Text
Alexandria Medal of Honor recipient Humbert “Rocky” Versace will be among the Vietnam veterans honored when the Virginia War Memorial opens a new exhibit in Richmond on Sept. 19.
“Virginia’s MIA: The Search Continues” will tell the stories of Virginians who remain missing in action and examine continuing efforts to bring them home. Versace is one of seven Alexandria service members still missing from the Vietnam War.
Kevin Rue, a spokesperson for the Friends of Rocky Versace, said the organization was invited to join the exhibit’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and that he will participate.
The opening falls on National POW/MIA Recognition Day, an annual observance held on the third Friday of September. The day honors American service members who were prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action.
More than 81,000 Americans are still listed as missing from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts. Nearly 1,300 of them are Virginians.
The memorial’s recognition ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19, followed by the ribbon cutting and public opening of the exhibit.
Dedicated in 1956, the Virginia War Memorial bears the names of nearly 12,000 Virginians who died during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the Global War on Terrorism.
The ceremony is free and open to the public, with a livestream also planned. The Virginia War Memorial is at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond.