THE WALL OF FACES

Warrant Officer Raymond Lester Conway, Served with B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

Shown is an overhead picture of the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Alexandria, VA. Dedicated on 6 July 2002, the Plaza/Memorial both remembers and honors not only Warrant Officer Raymond Lester Conway, U.S. Army, with a Gold Star above his name, but the 66 other men from the city who died in Vietnam. The “Friends of Rocky Versace” annually conduct Memorial Day & Veterans Day Ceremonies at the Plaza/Memorial and cordially invite Warrant Officer Conways' family members, his brothers-in-arms and friends to join us at the observances.

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” remember one of the 67 men whose name is chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Warrant Officer Raymond Lester Conway, on what would’ve been his 72d birthday – 11 December 2016.

Marilyn and Ray had been married only a few short months.
When he arrived in Nam, the Tet offensive just started.
The Huey helicopter he was co-piloting landed in the center of the battle to pick up a wounded enemy combatant.
Heavy small arms fire found its mark.
He had just said his goodbyes to friends and family in Alexandria, VA such an incredibly short time ago, at Christmas time.
We will always love you and miss you, Ray

My brother Ray was a Cub Scout and later a Boy Scout. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout.He was very athletic and excelled in sports. He was two years younger than myself. We were very close because my mother was ill and could not care for us. We lived with close friends of our family, Betsy and Ralph Kennedy in Fairhaven in Alexandria, VA. Ray was an easy going, lovable boy. He made friends easily and had a great sense of humor. After completing Groveton High School he went to William and Mary College. He met Marilyn Day in college the they married just a month or so before he was shipped to Vietnam. Marilyn has remained a close to friend to me and my family. Ray is pictured here was J. Harry McGregor, Representative from Ohio in the 50's at the age 10.