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.