Posted on 12/21/2001 6:30:52 AM PST by Jeff Head
There is a REAL American Hero, Captain Rocky Versace, who deserves a Medal of Honor. His actions while fighting the Viet Cong in Vietnam and then after his capture are the stuff that heroes, role models and legends are made of.
A number of us on FR, along with a great number of his compatriots in the Armed Services, have been pushing, lobbying and seeking for years that this man be presented the MOH he so richly deserves. Here is an earlier thread from early 2000 regarding the same:
Rocky Versace, A Real American Hero who deserves a Medal of Honor
I just spoke this morning a short while ago to Duane E. Frederic who wrote the:
MEDAL OF HONOR RECOMENDATION STAFF STUDY FOR ROCKY
and I am PROUD to say that a citiation has been recommended and approved and that the legislation enabling the MOH for Rocky has just passed the House and Senate and is in the Defense Appropriation legislation going to the Presidents desk for signature!
Barring a veto (and we should all write the President specifically over this issue to urge him to sign the legislation) there should be a ceremony this spring for ROcky, 39 years after the fact.
Here is the CITATION wording:
Here are important links regarding Rocky:The President of the United States of America in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while a prisoner of war during the period of 29 October 1963 to 26 September 1965 in the Republic of Vietnam.CAPTAIN HUMBERT ROQUE VERSACE
UNITED STATES ARMYCITATION:
While accompanying a Civilian Irregular Defense Group patrol engaged in combat operations in Thoi Binh District, An Xuyen Province, Republic of Vietnam on 29 October 1963, Captain Versace and the CIDG assault force were caught in an ambush from intense mortar, automatic weapons, and small arms fire from elements of a reinforced enemy Main Force battalion. As the battle raged, Captain Versace fought valiantly and encouraged his CIDG patrol to return fire against overwhelming enemy forces. He provided covering fire from an exposed position to enable friendly forces to withdraw from the killing zone when it was apparent that their position would be overrun, and was severely wounded in the knee and back from automatic weapons fire and shrapnel. He stubbornly resisted capture with the last full measure of his strength and ammunition.
Taken prisoner by the Viet Cong, he demonstrated exceptional leadership and resolute adherence to the tenants of the Code of Conduct from the time he entered into a prisoner of war status. Captain Versace assumed command of his fellow American prisoners, and despite being kept locked in irons in an isolation box, raised their morale by singing messages to popular songs of the day, and leaving inspiring messages at the latrine. Within three weeks of captivity, and despite the severity of his untreated wounds, he attempted the first of four escape attempts by dragging himself on his hands and knees out of the camp through dense swamp and forbidding vegetation to freedom. Crawling at a very slow pace due to his weakened condition, the guards quickly discovered him outside the camp and recaptured him. Captain Versace scorned the enemy’s exhaustive interrogation and indoctrination efforts, and inspired his fellow prisoners to resist to the best of their ability.
When he used his Vietnamese language skills to protest improper treatment of the American prisoners by the guards, he was put into leg irons and gagged to keep his protestations out of earshot of the other American prisoners in the camp. The last time that any of his fellow prisoners heard from him, Captain Versace was singing God Bless America at the top of his voice from his isolation box. Unable to break his indomitable will, his faith in God, and his trust in the United States of America and his fellow prisoners, Captain Versace was executed by the Viet Cong on 26 September 1965.
Captain Versace’s extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army, and reflect great credit to himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.
A SOLDIERS STORY - A FILM ABOUT ROCKY [20 Minute online, Requires RealPlayer]
MEDAL OF HONOR RECOMMENDATION STAFF STUDY
ALEXANDRIA VIETNAM MEMORIAL AND CAPTAIN ROCKY VERSACE PLAZA
How can this be? An American male being termed a 'hero' when he never hit sixty home runs in a season? Never wrote a best-selling novel? Never recorded a million-selling song? Never starred in a Nielson-hit sitcom?
The past few decades (especially since the moral erosion of the sixties) have seen a (sad) re-definition of the term 'hero.' Many younger generation Americans have been taught to define heroism in terms of celebrity, or (innate or developed) ability. There was a (better) time in this country when heroism was more altruistically defined (very simply) by the amount a effort a person expended, without any kind of remuneration, without coercion, and sometimes in the midst of danger to himself, for others.
How many of our current sports heroes (the kind who sell their autographs to young, adoring children), or entertainment industry celebrities (the kind who spend much of their (plentiful) leisure time telling us about the sacrifices we should all make for the betterment of mankind, while they themselves live in their fortified, affluent 'palaces,' isolated from the American peons whose problems they profess to champion) do anything for anyone but (1) themselves, or (2) the almighty dollar? Answer: Few to none.
Not only isn't our current crop of public-schooled children learning anything at all about real American heroes (past and present....i.e. the likes of Robert E. Lee, or Ronald Reagan, or Rocky Versace); they are also being taught to look up to and emulate people whose (so-called) heroism is fabricated out of whole cloth (by those with an agenda -- to cheapen genuine character, and to elevate self-serving behavior). How better to bring a society to its knees than to teach its youth to worship and emulate self-aggrandizement over courage and altruism?
Ezra Taft Benson once stated that 'Our civilization will die when we no longer care -- when the spiritual forces that make us wish to be right and noble die in the hearts of men.'
The last time that any of his fellow prisoners heard from him, Captain Versace was singing God Bless America at the top of his voice from his isolation box. Unable to break his indomitable will, his faith in God, and his trust in the United States of America and his fellow prisoners, Captain Versace was executed by the Viet Cong on 26 September 1965.
Rocky told our captors that as long as he was true to God and true to himself, what was waiting for him after this life was far better than anything that could happen now. So he told them that they might as well kill him then and there if the price of his life was getting more from him than name, rank, and serial number. I’m satisfied that he would have it no other way. I know that he valued that one moment of honor more than he would have a lifetime of compromises.
How many people do each of us know who would do what is described in the first paragraph above, or who would engender the epitaph represented by the second? Better yet, how many of the faux celebrity heroes of today would have been fit to have shined Rocky Versace's shoes?
This world has known very few Rocky Versaces. And, even if their preciousness is not recognized by their contemporaries, there is Someone who will provide them with acknowledgement and affirmation that would make any human citation pale in significance. Rocky has already received his reward. Any man-made recognition he will receive here and now will not benefit him, but it will benefit the rest of us he left behind....in that it will (hopefully) refocus our vision on honor, duty, valor, integrity and faith. Therein lies the value in bestowing this particular Medal of Honor.
God (doesn't have to be told to) bless Rocky Versace.
You have mail.
Any man-made recognition he will receive here and now will not benefit him, but it will benefit the rest of us he left behind....in that it will (hopefully) refocus our vision on honor, duty, valor, integrity and faith. Therein lies the value in bestowing this particular Medal of Honor.Agreed 1000% Rocky and his Mom and James Rpwe have already passed on to a much ricjer reward, and in my simple faith, they are rejoicing in the fact that Rocky's contribution, valor and actions are soon to be punctuated so that the rest of us, still here in this world, will have something to point to, something to strive for in our own day to day pursuits ... something for the youth in particular to look to.God (doesn't have to be told to) bless Rocky Versace.
I received the following from Duane Frderic, the man who wrote the staff report:
Dear Jeff,The is GREAT NEWS! The deed is done, and a nation and a people will finally pay deserving tribute ot one of its fallen heroes and place his sacrifice, his actions, his patriotism and valor in the hallowed place they are deserving of ... our collective memory and our hearts ... a place where the youth of this nation will have a chance to become aware of them and )hopefully) emulate them.I received a phone call last night from Mike Faber indicating that President Bush signed the Defense Authorization Act of 2001 which included Rocky's MOH.
You can use the file attachment to notify your friends of this good news.
Best to you,
Duane Frederic
Here is the response I sent back to Duane:
Duane,This is a wonderful Christmas present for a nation and to the memory of a fallen hero and those who themselves have passed beyond the vail who worked so long and so hard for it. I am sure they are rejoicing together ... not for their own honor, but for what it can mean to those they loved, and those Rpcky and James fought to protect and what they died to preserve ... our liberties and the knowledge, feeling, commitment and insight of the rising generation who will also have to preserve it.This is GREAT news!
Several hundred people emailed, phoned and wrote the White House as a result of last week's post on FreeRepublic. I doubt it made any difference as this was already a done deal I am sure ... but it never hurts to underscore the support Rocky has.
I hope the President will make a large event of the ceremony ... meaning taking the opportunity to put special emphasis on what Rocky did and how his actions, commitment, valor and patriotism should be an icon for American youth when it comes to heroes.
Thanks again, on behalf of myself and family and on behalf of our nation for your efforts in this regard.
Sincerely,
Jeff Head
Anyone remember the name of the FOX guy that did the specials on the land grabs?
I'll send several today.
The timing is right, Bush would risk little politically (which shouldn't matter anyway ... DO WHAT IS RIGHT ... DAMN THE TORPEDOES!) and our nation desparately needs heros like Rocky to point to as icons for our youth. As Joanie stated, Rocky is there, his actions are there, he has been recognized by an authority and power much more important and lasting than our own ... but his legacy can still be a blessing to our nation and our posterity if we will make it so.
I hope and pray we will.
You got that right,Jeff. We can only hope that one day the people of this nation will realize what a gift people like Rocky were to our continued freedoms. Like you,I am hoping Bubba Bush makes a BIG production out of this and gets Rocky some of the public recogonition he deserves. This might even happen,since it is in Bubba Bush's own self-interest to promote the military and heroism at this particiluar time.
I think this is a great idea. Give Fox News a "heads-up" that this is about to happen,and they could have some background film and interviews all ready to go when it happens.
No! Keep Ollie North out of this. In the first place,this MUST NOT be allowed to deterioate into a partisan politican event! In the second place,Ollie's own personal and military history would only drage down Rocky,and too many people have worked too many years to get Rocky the recogonition he deserves to allow something like that to happen.
BTW, you should have gotten a "CC" email from me today.
Nope,it hasn't shown up yet.
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