Remembering comrades at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLUC) – The U.P. Honor Flight offers our veterans an opportunity to mirror on their time within the service. Most veterans on Mission XVIII of the Honor Flight served throughout Vietnam.

On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Wednesday, they etched names of individuals they served with, shared tales of their comrades and recalled their time within the army.

Amongst them was James Dougovito, a Second Lieutenant and Silver Star recipient – the third-highest army recognition.

In September 1969, Lt. Dougovito was main his platoon when he and his level man had been injured. Dougovito carried his level man to security and went again to combat. The enemy retreated.

However his focus was discovering his good friend among the many greater than 58,000 names.

“He glided by Rocky Versace, and he was a good friend of my older brother. Rocky, when he completed with college, he went to West Level after which he was an Military ranger and naturally, went to Vietnam as an advisor,” stated Lt. Dougavito.

When Versace left for Vietnam, it was the final time he would see his household.

“Whereas in Vietnam he was captured by the Viet Cong and escaped efficiently however captured once more after which executed by the Viet Cong,” stated Lt. Dougavito.

Dougovito says Versace is the one POW to be awarded the Medal of Honor by George W. Bush. Whereas many received’t acknowledge Versace’s title on the wall, they could know his mom’s title.

“His mom below the pen title Tere Rios wrote the Flying Nun. It had a film with Sally Fields,” stated Lt. Dougavito.

Lots of the Vietnam veterans on Wednesday’s journey to D.C. had names they needed to seek out on the memorial. Dennis Swanson discovered his good friend’s title after years of not figuring out what occurred to him.

“I occurred to seek out his title on the wall, which might have occurred inside six months after he left, and the final time that I noticed him,” stated Dennis Swanson, a Vietnam-era Military veteran.

Along with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Honor Flight stopped at seven different memorials.

“It was cool. It was particular attending to see every little thing, lots of people, the opposite veterans,” stated Robert Dennis, a Vietnam-era Military veteran.

However for Dougavito, seeing Versace’s title on the wall was a somber expertise.

“Quite a lot of younger women and men misplaced their lives because of that struggle and naturally any struggle. We’ve misplaced hundreds of thousands over the course of our historical past,” stated Lt. Dougavito.

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