Col. Patrick Cramer, left, is joined by Gold Star family members Joan Mashburn and Sue Rampey at the plaque dedication ceremony June 14 at Gadsby’s Tavern.
Gold Star family members of Alexandria’s fallen Vietnam veterans were on hand to unveil a plaque memorializing those who lost their lives in Vietnam as part of a dedication ceremony June 14 at Gadsby’s Tavern.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 609 and American Legion Post 24, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, commissioned the plaque bearing the 68 names of Alexandrians killed or missing in action in the Vietnam War. An additional plaque was dedicated on Memorial Day at the city's Monument to the War Dead, located in front of Alexandria’s Union Station on Callahan Drive.
“Now, after almost 50 years since the war in Vietnam officially ended in May 1975, we have these two plaques in place in perpetuity,” said VFW Post 609 Commander Col. Gerald Krueger (ret), who spearheaded the recognition of the fallen veterans.
Gretchen Bulova, the Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, worked with Krueger and area Veterans Service Organizations in leading the campaign to fund the placement of the plaques.
In her remarks, Bulova detailed the history of the Gadsby’s Tavern building, which was saved from demolition in the early 1920s by American Legion Post 24. The Post subsequently deeded the building to the city in 1972 to permit time for rehabilitation prior to the country's 1976 bicentennial. The Cameron Street portion of the building continues to serve as home to Post 24.
American Legion Post 24 Commander Kelly Niernberger welcomed guests and recognized Gold Star family members in attendance, including: Joan Mashburn, Gold Star Sister of Captain Tschann S. Mashburn; Sue Rampey, Gold Star Sister of Robert W. Cupp; Vincent Valentine, Gold Star Brother of Jeron Valentine; and Patrick Bayliss, Gold Star Son of Paul M. Bayliss.
Col. Patrick Cramer served as guest speaker at the dedication. Following his remarks, Cramer presented Department of Defense Vietnam 50th Commemoration Commission lapel pins to those veterans who served on active duty between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975.
With the dedication of the Vietnam veterans plaques complete, the coalition of VSO organizations will continue to raise funds with plans to commission plaques honoring Alexandria’s fallen soldiers from World War II and the Korean War. Bulova and the Office of Historic Alexandria are assisting in the research of the fallen veterans from those conflicts.
“Onward we go to meet the pledge to make it right as we campaign for the next two veterans and name plaques honoring those Alexandrians who perished fighting World War II and the Korean War,” said Krueger, who noted a target date of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 for completion. “The work of our Veterans Service Organizations continues. We take on the task of reminding our citizens that for us every day is Veterans Day.”