Im new to inkscape and can not figure this out.  In the attached file, why does my image show up so faint, and if i try to vectorize it - it does not?  

The selection box around the image is acting as the image itself.  I can adjust the stroke and fill of the rectangle - but not the image inside.

What am I doing wrong??

There´s no need to because it´s a pattern fill. Try the following:

Select - then go Object->Pattern->Pattern to Object. Ungroup and adjust color and stroke options and font used:

I'd add that , I you want to keep the same visual aspect, it would be cleaner (it's a personnal opinion) to remove rect2 and use node tool to remove 2 two hexagons hidden by rect2.

A destructive process, however : don't do this if you may want to use theses two hidden hexagons later.

Thank you!!!  And good idea David248 - I like that approach more than what I was trying to do!

Question - how did you know that it was a 'pattern fill' ?  Is there an icon, symbol, or some other indication that would have indicated this to me?

THANKS AGAIN SO MUCH!!!

At the bottom left of the Inkscape window where the color swatches live it´s labelled.