THE WALL OF FACES

Never forget.

HOOAH

During a "clandestine, spontaneous happening" at the CPT Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day 2020, the "Friends of Rocky Versace" remembered MIA First Lieutenant Lawrence Eugene Lilly, U.S. Army, as well as Alexandria's 67 other Vietnam War Fallen Heroes. A video of the "happening" is available for viewing at this link/URL:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/imz166z2qreygsu/Friends%20of%20Rocky%20Versace%2C%20Memorial%20Day%202020.mp4?dl=0

The Department of Defense conducted ceremonies at the Pentagon and at Hickam AFB on Friday, 18 September 2020 in recognition of POW/MIA Recognition Day. Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Nordquist remembered the 1,586 MIAs from the Vietnam War as well as all those still unaccounted for from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War and other conflicts. Director (Maj. Gen, USAFR, ret) Kelly McKeague of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) also recorded a separate video message to Gold Star MIA families. Additionally, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) produced a “virtual” event on 18 Sep. Since the 2019 Ceremony, DPAA has positively identified 1 Vietnam War MIA. 1LT Lawrence Eugene Lilly, USA, is one of those 1,586 MIAs unaccounted for in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War. He is also one of 7 MIAs whose name is chiseled into a stone bench beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Alexandria, VA. The other 6 MIAs (rank, name & service) are: (1) SFC Douglas Blodgett, USA; (2) Major Joe Davies, USAF; (3) Major Morgan Donahue, USAF; (4) 1LT Leland McCants, USA; (5) CPT Humbert “Rocky” Versace, USA; & (6) SA John Winkler, USN.

This is the link to the DoD/DVIDS video for the Pentagon ceremony:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/766486/defense-officials-recognize-prisoners-war-missing-service-members-ceremony

This is the link to the DoD/DVIDS video for the Hickam AFB ceremony:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/766491/admiral-commemorates-prisoners-war-and-missing-service-members-ceremony

This is the link to DPAA Director McKeague’s video statement:
https://vimeo.com/454474340

This is the link to the VVMF virtual remembrance: https://www.vvmf.org/POWMIA-2020/

We did AIT together at Ft. Polk in the Fall of 1968. Five of us were doing an E & E when I got stuck in something like quicksand in a snake invested swamp. Larry organized the others into a chain using our M-14s for extension and he rescued me. A natural leader! Also a poison ivy incident/he was hospitalized for a week. I miss him.

Dear Lt Lawrence Lilly, Thank you for your service as a Rotary Wing Aviation Unit Commander - Cobra Helicopter Pilot. You are still MIA. Please come home. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Today is Easter Tuesday, and Passover. The time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness. Be at peace with the angels.