Bernalillo County is on the hunt for a New Mexico artist to design a new monumental sculpture honoring Chief Warrant Officer Richard Rocco, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who grew up in Albuquerque's South Valley. The county arts board is now accepting submissions for what officials are calling the Richard Rocco Memorial Public Art Project, with a budget that includes everything from artist design to fabrication, transportation, and installation.
As reported by KRQE News 13, the project carries a budget of $200,000. According to a county announcement, that figure is meant to cover the full scope of the commission, from design through installation, per Bernalillo County. The county's own announcement states the selected artwork will be installed at a site tied to the Westside Community Center, located at 1250 Isleta Blvd. SW in Albuquerque.
Rocco served as a U.S. Army medic during the Vietnam War, and his heroism unfolded after his helicopter was shot down. Accounts of exactly how many comrades he saved differ: the Congressional Medal of Honor Society says his actions were directly responsible for saving three of his fellow soldiers from certain death, while DVIDS reports a more detailed sequence in which Rocco rescued the pilot and co-pilot, helped remove the crew chief, and went back a fourth time for the medic.
A Medal Decades in the Making
The rescue that defined Rocco's legacy took place on May 24, 1970, northeast of Katum in the Republic of Vietnam, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. It would be more than four years before he received the nation's highest military honor. President Gerald R. Ford presented Rocco with the Medal of Honor at the White House on December 12, 1974, the society notes.
Rocco was born on November 19, 1938, in Albuquerque, according to the same source. His story has already left its mark on the South Valley once before. Local veterans provided a memorial monument and bust honoring Rocco at a community center back in the 1980s, as detailed by the Albuquerque Journal.
From the South Valley to Angel Fire
That earlier tribute didn't stay fully intact. Bernalillo County later agreed to transfer Rocco's bronze bust from the South Valley Community Center to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire, where it's now permanently displayed in the visitors center, the Journal reported. The stone monument, however, remains at the South Valley Community Center.
This new sculpture commission appears intended to restore a fuller public tribute to Rocco closer to where he grew up. Artists interested in submitting proposals can review eligibility requirements, project details, and submission instructions through the Creative West call for entries website. Questions about the project can be directed to Kent Swanson, the county's public art program coordinator, at 505-350-0144 or [email protected].
