VFW Post 5702 To Honor Captain Eleanor Alexander
On the evening of Monday, January 21, 2013, the membership of Franklin Lakes VFW Post 5702 will suspend the regular order of business at its General Membership Meeting in order to conduct a ceremony and presentation to honor Captain Eleanor Alexander, the only woman from New Jersey to be killed in Vietnam. Captain Alexander is buried in a cemetery in River Vale, NJ. The story of VFW Post 5702’s tribute to Captain Alexander involves her family, the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Post 5702 member Jim McGinnis.
After retiring recently, Post Trustee and Vietnam Veteran Jim McGinnis was able to fulfill his dream of becoming a Guide at the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Education Center in Holmdel, NJ. In studying and training to be a Guide, he learned that Captain Alexander is one of eight women whose names appear on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the only woman whose name appears on the Wall at the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial. On his own initiative, Mr. McGinnis investigated further, and discovered that Captain Alexander’s grave has no veterans’ designation, He contacted Captain Alexander’s family, and representatives from Captain Alexander’s family will be attending the ceremony on January 21, 2013. At the meeting, Post 5702 will be presenting a framed proclamation and honorary Post 5702 Membership Card for Captain Alexander to her brother.
For more information about Captain Alexander, please visit the following links: