More than 400 Vietnam veterans, including eight from the state of Florida, will be inducted into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) “In Memory” program this year. The program honors Vietnam veterans who died as a result of their service in Vietnam but who are not eligible for inscription on The Wall under the Department of Defense guidelines.
On June 17, VVMF will host more than 2,000 attendees at the annual ceremony on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where each “In Memory” honoree’s name will be read aloud. This year, 411 service members will be honored during the ceremony.
Among the 2017 In Memory inductees from Florida are Kevin Francis Delaney from Jacksonville of the U.S. Navy; Harold Raymond Marsolais from St. Augustine (U.S. Army); George Ellis Barton from Weirsdale (U.S. Army); Norman Walter Bowden from Vero Beach (U.S. Army); Walter Edward Brady, Jr., from Tampa (U.S. Army); Clifton Joseph Richard from Hollywood (U.S. Army); Jessie Leroy Stephens, Jr. from Perry (U.S. Army); and Henry Richard Zippay, Jr. from Lauderdale by the Sea (U.S. Army).
The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 2004. It reads, “In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”
“In Memory” began in 1999 and has since honored more than 2,800 veterans. The In Memory Honor Roll has a remembrance page for each veteran and can be seen online at www.vvmf.org/honor-roll. The 2017 inductees will be added to the Honor Roll after the June ceremony.
