'Ordinary Heroes' on Display at Pentagon City Mall

By Michael F. Flach
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 8/8/02)

PENTAGON CITY — A photographic exhibit honoring 48 of our nation’s Medal of Honor winners was unveiled last week in the shadow of Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon.

"Ordinary Heroes" is an inter-active, three-dimensional exhibit based on Tom Casalini’s patriotic book of the same name. It will be on display at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City through Aug. 10.

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the United States Armed Services. The award was introduced into legislation in 1861 and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862.

Casalini has been a nationally recognized commercial photographer for 30 years. The resident of Carmel, Ind., said the idea for the book was the work of "divine intervention." Casalini was looking for "spiritual guidance" about three years ago when he received an assignment to create a poster of all the Medal of Honor recipients.

"I wanted a project to challenge me spiritually," he said. By working on the book, "I discovered ordinary men who were doing their duty. We viewed them as heroes. The journey was so unexpected."

Casalini said he approached the book project a little differently than one might expect. He wanted to learn about the personalities of the men he was photographing rather than focusing on their heroic actions as soldiers.

He discovered how their heroic acts have motivated and inspired their lives and how they have touched all those around them through their strength and the value of the human spirit.

"They live that kind of integrity day in and day out," Casalini said. "The things that are of value to them take place outside their military experience. They have changed my life.

"By simply doing your daily duty you have the chance to become a hero, to change the lives of those around you," Casalini told the audience gathered last week in Arlington.

Gary Littrel, one of the Medal of Honor winners featured in the book, said viewing the exhibit is a bittersweet experience for him. He is honored to share the spotlight with "his brothers," while at the same time saddened by the fact that five men featured in the book have died since the project started three years ago.

Barney Barnum, immediate past president of the Medal of Honor Society, said there are 141 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. "If we can touch one child with this exhibit, then it’s all worthwhile," he said.

A special monument was unveiled during the exhibit’s opening ceremony to honor Humberto "Rocky" Versace, a former resident of Alexandria who posthumously received the Medal of Honor in early July from President George Bush.

Versace, a 1959 West Point graduate, and two fellow advisers to the South Vietnamese were captured by the Viet Cong on Oct. 29, 1963. Versace inspired his fellow captives by persistently rebuffing the propaganda attempts and torture by his North Vietnamese captors. He repeatedly tried to escape, resulting in imprisonment in a bamboo cage. He was executed by the North Vietnamese on Sept. 26, 1965.

Versace is believed to be the first Army POW to receive the Medal of Honor.

Rocky’s brother, Steve Versace, was on hand at Pentagon City last week to share his brother’s story.

"Rocky was dedicated to two things: his military career and his faith in God," Steve said. Rocky was two weeks away from entering the Maryknoll seminary when he was captured.

He was true to himself to the bitter end, Steve said.

"Ordinary Heroes speaks out to people of all ages," said John R. Neutzling, executive vice president of Simon Property Group, the real estate management company that is sponsoring the exhibit.

"We hope this exhibit will reach out to the community and have a positive influence on our children," he said. "We hope it will show them they can make heroic and better decisions in their lives."

After leaving Arlington, the exhibit will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa.; Orland Park, Ill.; Minneapolis; Garden City, N.Y.; and Hurst, Texas. It will close in Indianapolis on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11.

A national essay contest is another component of the exhibit. A 500-word essay and entry application will be accepted through Nov. 11. Applications are available at the mall’s customer service center. Completed essays should be sent to: P.O. Box 191445, Atlanta, GA 31119. The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is located at 1100 S. Hayes St. in Arlington.

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