Honor WNY Veteran Patrick Kavanagh

Senate Resolution No. 3555 BY: Senator JACOBS HONORING Patrick Kavanagh upon the occasion of his designation as the 2017 WNY Veteran of the Year by The Buffalo News WHEREAS, Members of the Armed Services from the State of New York, who have served so valiantly and honorably in wars in which this country's freedom was at stake, as well as in the preservation of peace in peace-time, deserve a special salute from this Legislative Body; and WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commend those who have served in times of active conflict, as well as those who have served in times of peace; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Patrick Kavanagh upon the occasion of his designation as the 2017 WNY Veteran of the Year by The Buffalo News, celebrated at its Annual WNY Heroes Red, White and Blue Gala on Friday, November 10, 2017, at Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, New York; and WHEREAS, In addition to this auspicious award, Patrick Kavanagh, affectionately known as Pat, was recognized for his dedication, service and sacrifice in his pursuit to ensure that all service members killed in Vietnam will always be remembered; and WHEREAS, Pat Kavanagh served his country with honor and distinction as a United State Army combat medic from 1967 to 1970, stationed in I Corps, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, from October of 1968 to October of

1969; and WHEREAS, For the past two decades, Pat Kavanagh has worked tirelessly to ensure that all of his comrades from Western New York who died during the Vietnam War will not be forgotten; and WHEREAS, This extraordinary man has spent countless hours doing the exhaustive research to find pictures, obituaries, and other biographical data on all those service members whose names are on The Wall in Washington, DC, and have direct ties to the eight counties of Western New York; and WHEREAS, With the gathering of these photos and documents, Pat Kavanagh compiled a massive binder entitled, "In Remembrance Of," a copy of which was put on display in Buffalo's Forest Lawn Cemetery chapel in

2012; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, on Veterans Day in 2015, the entirety of "In Remembrance Of" was made available online for anyone to view; and WHEREAS, Remarkably, in May of 2017, Pat Kavanagh located a picture of the last of the 450 service members from Western New York who died in Vietnam; with his initial mission completed, he is now reaching out to other areas in New York State who do not have a picture for each of their fallen Vietnam service members; and WHEREAS, Due in large part to the unwavering efforts Pat Kavanagh, more than 54,000 of the 58,318 names on The Wall now have at least one picture in the Wall of Faces files; and WHEREAS, A true asset to his community and fellow soldiers, Pat Kavanagh is a valued and involved member of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 77, Tonawanda, New York; and WHEREAS, Having exhibited his patriotism both at home and abroad, Pat Kavanagh has demonstrated his love for his country and merits forevermore, the highest respect of his State and Nation; and WHEREAS, Our Nation's veterans deserve to be recognized, commended and thanked by the people of the State of New York for their service and for their dedication to their communities, their State and their Nation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Patrick Kavanagh upon the occasion of his designation as the 2017 WNY Veteran of the Year by The Buffalo News; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Patrick Kavanagh.