Humbert Roque Versace

Humbert Roque Versace
Captain Humbert Roque Versace, Medal of Honor recipient
Nickname(s)Rocky
Born(1937-07-02)July 2, 1937
Honolulu, Hawaii, US
DiedSeptember 26, 1965(1965-09-26) (aged 28)
U Minh forest swamp, An Xuyen Province (Ca Mau), South Vietnam
Cause of deathExecution by firing squad
Buried
Remains never recovered; memorial headstone at Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1959–1965
RankCaptain
UnitMilitary Assistance Advisory Group
Battles / warsVietnam War (POW)
AwardsMedal of Honor
Purple Heart

Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace (July 2, 1937 – September 26, 1965) was a United States Army officer of Puerto RicanItalian descent who was posthumously awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of the U.S. Army to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions performed in Southeast Asia while in captivity.[1][2]

  1. ^ Bush, George W. (July 8, 2002). "President Awards Posthumous Medal of Honor to Vietnam War Hero". Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2019 – via www.mishalov.com. Remarks by the President Bush at the Presentation of the Medal of Honor in the East Room of the White House.
  2. ^ Bush, George W. (July 8, 2002). "President Awards Posthumous Medal of Honor to Vietnam War Hero". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved August 25, 2019.