Senator Farley Inducts Clifton Park Veteran into Senate Hall of Fame

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) had the pleasure of inducting James Irwin of Clifton Park into the New York State Senate’s Veterans’ Hall of Fame on May 24th at a ceremony at the Legislative Office Building in Albany.  Senator Farley was also pleased to present today a special certificate for James and Janet Irwin for their 41st wedding anniversary.

The Veteran’s Hall of Fame celebration is a time to honor outstanding veterans, Senator Farley said

Torpedoman’s Mate 2nd Class James Irwin enlisted in the United States Navy in October 1966. Assigned to the nuclear powered ballistic submarine USS Theodore Roosevelt, he served as the ship’s small arms petty officer and was certified as a nuclear weapons handler. During four years on active duty, Mr. Irwin completed six deployments, totaling over one year under the ocean, earning him the Submarine Warfare Medal.

Following his honorable discharge in December 1970, and even as he searched for a job, Mr. Irwin was committed to helping his fellow veterans in need. He worked for the United States Treasury Department as a Customs Patrol Officer and Inspector. In 2000, he became a founding member of the Albany-Saratoga Submarine Veterans, a local chapter of US Submarine Veterans, Inc., and has served as its Base Commander since 2012. From 2006-08 and from 2011 to the present time, Mr. Irwin has served as Northeast Region District 5 Commander, overseeing the operation of all submarine veteran bases in New York State north of New York City. He represents the local members of a national organization composed of 13,000 members throughout the United States and works to perpetuate the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, going down with their ship.

Mr. Irwin has received a number of awards in recognition of his courageous effort and willing sacrifice, including the 2010 Robert Link Award for his work in preserving the WWII submarine USS Croaker, the 2012 Silver Anchor Award for local community service, and the National 2015 District Commander of the Year Award.

In Ballston Spa, Mr. Irwin serves as Commander of American Legion Post 234 and as a trustee of VFW Post 358. He also works closely with the Naval ROTC Unit at RPI in Troy and with the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa.