Marie Teresa Ríos (November 9, 1917 – October 17, 1999), known as Tere Ríos, was an American writer and the author of the 1965 book ''The Fifteenth Pelican'' which was the basis for the 1960s Screen Gems television sitcom, ''
The Flying Nun
''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book ''The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere Rio ...
''. Ríos was the mother of
Humbert Roque Versace
Captain (United States), Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace (July 2, 1937 – September 26, 1965) was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican American, Puerto Rican-Italian people, Italian descent who was posthumously awarded the United S ...
, the first U.S. Army
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
in Southeast Asia awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
.
Early years
Ríos was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York City, to Rafael Rios, a native of
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
who moved and settled in Brooklyn in the early part of the 20th century and to Marie Teresa Dowd, an American of Irish heritage.''Milwaukee Sentinel''; Page 10; Part 1; January 15, 1968; Madison Author Creates Capors of TV's Flying Nun Ríos was proud of her Puerto Rican heritage and a devout
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
who became interested in writing at a young age.
In the 1930s, she met and married Humbert Joseph Versace, a 1933 graduate of the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
(West Point). Together they had five children, Humbert Roque, twins Stephen and Richard Versace (former coach of the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
), Michael and Trilby. As an Army wife, she traveled to different places around the world, including
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, where her first child, Humbert Roque was born. Marie Teresa Ríos Versace /ref>
Career as a writer
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Ríos (also known as Marie Teresa Ríos Versace This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name '' "Ríos"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''"Versace"''.) drove Army trucks and buses. She also served as a pilot for the
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
. Ríos wrote and edited for various newspapers around the world, including places such as
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, Germany, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, and publications such as the Armed Forces '' Star & Stripes'' and ''
Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
She also taught creative writing at the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
and was on the staff of the Rhinelander Writers Conference. In 1958, she was named "Wisconsin Writer of the Year". In 1957, Ríos published her first book ''An Angel Grows Up'' using the pen name "Tere Ríos". She soon followed that with another book, ''Brother Angel'' (1963).
''The Fifteenth Pelican'' and Humbert Roque Versace
Her eldest son,
Humbert Roque Versace
Captain (United States), Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace (July 2, 1937 – September 26, 1965) was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican American, Puerto Rican-Italian people, Italian descent who was posthumously awarded the United S ...
, followed his father's footsteps and graduated from West Point. He was sent to the
Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
as a military advisor with the rank of captain. During his second tour in Vietnam he was captured on October 29, 1963, along with two other Americans, by the
Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
. Captain Versace was executed by his captors on September 26, 1965, an event which devastated her. Remarks by the President Bush at the Presentation of the Medal of Honor in the East Room of the White House.
She published her third book, titled ''The Fifteenth Pelican,'' in 1966. At the time, uncertain of her son's death, the book's dedication read as follows: ''"FOR THE ROCK'' er son's nickname''and the children and sugar people of NamCan"''. The TV series ''
The Flying Nun
''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book ''The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere Rio ...
,'' starring
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...
, was based on this book. The sitcom was produced by
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
between 1967 and 1970.
Upon learning of their son's fate, Ríos and her husband tried to find out what they could about the circumstances surrounding his death. She went to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in the late 1960s, trying unsuccessfully to see the North Vietnamese delegation as it arrived for peace talks. Ríos expressed her frustration and anguish in poems and in unpublished novels.
Final years
Ríos was presented with a Special Forces patch and unit membership certificate. In 1970, a movement to award her son the Medal of Honor failed and instead Ríos and her husband were presented with their son's
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
. Her husband Colonel Humbert Joseph Versace died on June 12, 1972.
Ríos returned to Puerto Rico in 1990, retiring in the town of
Fajardo
Fajardo (, ) is a town and municipality -Fajardo Combined Statistical Area.
Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It is ...
. In 1999, she was diagnosed with
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
and she left the island to return to the mainland. She was hospitalized in
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
. Marie Teresa Rios died on October 17, 1999, and her funeral was held at the Ft. Myer Old Post Chapel. Representatives of the Special Operations Command from Fort Bragg were present. Her ashes were buried with her husband at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
on November 12, 1999. She was survived by her four children Dr. Stephen,
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
(former coach of the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
), Michael and Trilby Versace.Los Angeles Times /ref>
On July 8, 2002, President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
presented Marie Teresa Ríos' surviving children with the Medal of Honor which was posthumously awarded to Captain Humbert Roque Versace.
List of Puerto Rican writers
This is a list of Puerto Rican literary figures, including poets, novelists, short story authors, and playwrights. It includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, and long-term residents or immigrants ...
*
Puerto Rican literature
Puerto Rican literature is the body of literature produced by writers of Puerto Rican descent. It evolved from the art of Oral literature, oral storytelling. Written works by the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico were originally prohibited an ...
*
Puerto Rican women in the military
Two of the least-known roles played by Puerto Rican women and women of Puerto Rican descent have been that of soldier and that of revolutionary. This is a brief account of some the Puerto Rican women who have participated in military actions as m ...
*
Irish immigration to Puerto Rico
Irish immigration to Puerto Rico began during the period of Spanish colonization of the island, continuing through 19th century to the present day. During the 16th century, many Irishmen, who were known as " Wild Geese", deserted from the Eng ...
*
History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...