ST. CROIX — The Office of Veterans Affairs honored a Virgin Islander who made the ultimate sacrifice in 1987 while serving in the U.S. Navy during a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony today in Frederiksted by rightfully placing his name on a monument in the Verne I. Richards Veterans Memorial Park 37 years after he died in a helicopter crash.
Omar Duparl, formerly Albert Duparl, a radio man second class in the Navy, was born in Marigot, St. Martin and raised in Frederiksted. He died at the age of 26 on July 30, 1987, while riding in a helicopter to the USS La Salle when the pilot missed the landing and crashed into the Persian Gulf.
The Office of Veterans Affairs never had a record of him, so his name was not included on one of the monuments in the veterans memorial park that represent the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
That was until today.
It happened 37 years after Duparl’s death because one of his family members noticed his name was missing from the monument and notified the Office of Veterans Affairs.
Patrick Farrell, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs, which hosted the ceremony in collaboration with the American Legion and Virgin Islands National Guard, said he was grateful to receive the phone call.
“Every time a Virgin Islander loses his or her life while on active duty, we honor them by etching them into history by placing their names on the memorial behind of us,” he said.
Duparl’s family, including his father, wife, two children, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren traveled from Florida to participate in the ceremony. Farrell asked them to stand and be recognized.
“We all know we are a very prideful set of people in the Virgin Islands, and we take care of our own, so I felt it necessary that we made sure that this family is recognized,” he said.
Farrell also made sure Governor Albert Bryan Jr. attended the ceremony to share the moment with Duparl’s family, noting the governor and Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach alternate attendance each year at the Memorial Day ceremonies that are held at the same time on St. Croix and St. Thomas. The governor was initially scheduled to attend the ceremony on St. Thomas this year.
Molly Duparl, widow of Omar Duparl, had the privilege of placing her late husband’s nameplate on the monument. She also placed a wreath on a stand in front of the monument during the wreath-laying segment of the ceremony.
“I was truly honored and very grateful, especially to Mr. Farrell and also to the governor for doing this for us,” she said. “It was truly long overdue.”
Jamal Duparl, son of Omar Duparl, while giving remarks during the ceremony, said his parents met in high school on St. Croix and never separated once they started dating. He said they got married in 1983 and had two children, himself and his sister, LeShanda Williams. He said his father would now have four grandchildren.
“I believe that my dad would be so proud to know that you all have honored his name by keeping his legacy alive,” he said.
Jamal Duparl thanked his brother-in-law, Dexter Williams, for informing the Office of Veterans Affairs that Omar Duparl’s name was missing from the monument. He also thanked OVA and Farrell for organizing a “wonderful” ceremony.
“We are so humbled by this event and grateful to know that you all felt compelled to honor a life well lived,” he said. “Thank you to every relative and friend who has taken time to come today. Your unwavering love and support will never be forgotten. I assure you my dad is smiling down on us today. Let us not forget to remember the lives lost while serving in the military, and they are truly heroes.”
The governor spoke after Jamal Duparl, thanking him for his remarks.
“Memorial Day is a sad day, but it’s also a day of celebration,” Bryan said.
While speaking of how “beautiful” the town Frederiksted is to hold the ceremony and acknowledging passersby from two cruise ships docked at the port, Bryan joked that a lot of the tourists were probably in shock about how seriously Memorial Day is taken in the territory. He then explained why.
“We have some of the highest per capita in the country in terms of men and women who served in the Armed Forces,” he said. “And all that we enjoy, the splendor and the beauty could not be enjoyed today if we didn’t have men and women willing to lay down their lives to protect not only the land, but our ideals and our way of life.”
Bryan said at the core of the country, there’s a belief that people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
“There’s a core belief that all of us will rise to defend if we have to, but there are a chosen few who have laid down their lives in defense of this country, and today we honor them,” he said. “But let’s remember as we honor them, we also must honor those that are still alive.”
The governor said he was lucky to be in attendance during a ceremony last Tuesday when the bypass in Christiansted was named after Aloy “Wenty” Nielsen, a 30-year employee of the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works who unveiled the signage during the ceremony. He recalled Nielsen’s smile during the event. He said he was sure that Omar Duparl was smiling today.
“But he’s not only smiling because his name went on a statue in Frederiksted; he’s smiling because you sir, your sister have continued a legacy of brilliance and excellence,” Bryan said, referring to Jamal Duparl and LeShanda Williams.
Augustin Webster, a retired chief warrant officer in the Virgin Islands National Guard and childhood friend of Omar Duparl, volunteered to serve as master of ceremonies.
“For him, I just couldn’t say no,” he said, adding that it was an honor.
Secundino Roman-Cruz, American Legion District 10 commander, spoke about the true significance of Memorial Day after discussing that for a lot of people, the holiday is simply the beginning of summer activities like grilling and picnics.
“It’s to honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we here today can enjoy the freedoms,” he said.
Roman-Cruz pointed out Memorial Day falls in May, which is when families celebrate high school graduations and students prepare for college. He questioned what it would be like for Americans today if members of the Armed Forces hadn’t laid down their lives for freedom.
“Just remember, they’re gone, we’re here and we’ve got to keep that candle on so they can one day find their way,” he said remembering those who are prisoners of war or missing in action.
A wreath-laying ceremony was also held today at the Emil White Memorial on Veterans Drive on St. Thomas in remembrance of the Dec. 3, 1979 death of White, a radio man third class in the U.S. Navy who died at the age of 20 while protecting a comrade during a terrorist attack on their bus in Puerto Rico.
A wreath-laying ceremony was held Saturday at Emmaus Moravian Cemetery in Coral Bay on St. John in remembrance of Kendall George, who was killed on December 2, 1966 at the age of 24 while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps; and Viggo Sewer, a private in the U.S. Army who became the first Virgin Islander to die in the Korean War in 1953 at the age of 21.
