13 Nov 2007
On Sunday, November 11, 2007, America will celebrate Veterans Day and honor the millions of American men and women who have sacrificed their own freedom and lives to defend our country and way of life. Veterans Day is especially important to those of us in Central and Northern New York, as we are so closely attached to Fort Drum. And this year, the day has added meaning to many of our neighbors, friends and family, as thousands of Fort Drum soldiers are currently returning from a 15 month deployment in Iraq. I am pleased to welcome home safely the brave men and women who honorably served our country in Iraq. But, I also want to express my sincere sympathy and gratitude to the families who lost loved ones to the War on Terror. Your sons and daughters, who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms of American citizens and citizens of other nations, are true heroes.Here in New York State, we have established two special and official ways to honor our veterans.The New York State Veterans Hall of Fame was created to honor and recognize outstanding veterans from the Empire State who have distinguished themselves both in military and civilian life.The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, located in New York’s Hudson River Valley region at the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, celebrates its first anniversary this Veterans Day. The mission of the Hall of Honor is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across generations in an attempt to ensure that all recipients are represented. Their stories will be preserved and shared through a series of exhibits; live videotaped interviews with veterans themselves; and the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer program detailing the stories of each individual. The Purple Heart Hall of Honor is the first in the nation to recognize the more than 1.7 million Americans wounded or killed in action while serving in the United States Military and will become the nation’s sole repository dedicated to the preservation of these stories of sacrifice.This year, the New York State Legislature passed an important piece of legislation that honors a group of veterans who, unfortunately, too often go unrecognized for their efforts and sacrifices--the Cold War veterans. This new law establishes a real property tax exemption for Cold War veterans, and it goes into effect January 3, 2008. The legislation defines a Cold War veteran as someone who served in the United States Armed Forces during the time period from September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991. Local governments must adopt this tax exemption in order for it to be granted locally, and they have the option of granting the exemption at 10 or 15 percent. Veterans Day serves as our annual reminder to give thanks to those who sacrificed themselves for the rest of us. There are many ways to honor our veterans, from attending a Veterans Day ceremony to simply offering a “thank you” to a veteran or current serviceman. Finally, for more information on the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, and how you or a family member--living or deceased-- can be a part of the Hall of Honor, contact my office at (315) 785-2430 or visit my website at www.senatorwright.org.
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