Published in Daily Messenger-Rochester NY

December 12th 2008

Jamestown, N.Y.

I am the chairman of a national group of Cold War veterans who have been tracking the adoption of property tax exemptions by local governments in New York state.

Several cities and counties in the state have adopted such exemptions. To our knowledge, Ontario County is the first county or city to veto such as measure, and we are puzzled as to why.

Ralph Calabreses words struck a chord with our membership , his fight is what we are all about. Like Mr. Calabrese, I am a veteran of another conflict, the Gulf War, and would not need such a exemption.

But we stand up for our brothers who should not be discriminated against because of when they took their oath to defend our nation, and should not be relegated to second-class status for VA health care and any other benefit afforded to veterans. Many during the Cold War era served in harms way and made the ultimate sacrifice.

The misconception we fight is that the during Cold War, that there were no shots fired. This is absolutely false, to quote former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara "Cold War, hell it was a hot war."

I now live in Jamestown N.Y., and I am a former resident, attending Marcus Whitman High School in 1986. My father still lives on Canandaigua Lake and the story had an added interest to me. Wherever these kinds of things happen, we as a community of veterans, care about our brothers.

Sean Eagan
Chairman, American Cold War Veterans
Jamestown

President Bush it is Time to Honor Cold War Veterans

Dear Mr. President

I am writing you today on behalf of American veterans who served during the Cold War era 1945-1991. We served all over. The Cold War was global in nature, and many facets and changing strategic considerations. During some parts of the period, actual shooting wars were involved, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Beirut, and Persian Gulf . Many of the losses in the Cold War were on missions that were under the veil of secrecy. A total of 123 of those lost (in addition to those of the Korean and Vietnam wars) are still classified as Missing in Action (MIA).The Cold War was a unique period in our history, and deserves a unique medal. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) called it the most significant victory since World War II. It did not often have the kinds of dramatic battles that make newspaper headlines. It was the day-in-day-out routine where a successful mission meant you returned safely to port after patrolling the coast of Communist China or North Korea, or landed safely after evading Soviet interceptors. President Kennedy termed it the "long twilight struggle, neither war nor peace." It called for dedication to duty, production of good intelligence, or manning a guard post along the border with East Germany through a harsh winter. Its casualties were less frequent, but real nonetheless.

The "Recognition Certificate" falls far short of the recognition such service merits. The certificate can be awarded to any government employee, whether they were flying a U-2 over Cuba or a civilian clerk in the GSA in Kansas City. A service medal, on the other hand, recognizes military service. Congress has recommended that a medal be authorized. The Department of Defense has never substituted a certificate for a service medal in the past — our brave service men and women deserve a medal for Cold War service.

On July 8th 2008 NY Governor Paterson vetoed a New York State Cold War Service bill that passed the Assembly and Senate unanimously citing a inflated cost figure. We honor and appreciate those who serve today, all we ask is that our government honor the living who served during the dark days of the Cold War. It will cost something, but our government should never be cheap where honor is concerned.

I humbly ask the President to issue a executive order establishing a Cold War Service medal to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall 1989. I appreciate your time and consideration of this request.

"America's line of defense is the Elbe River "
General D.D. Eisenhower, 1951

"There is only one sure way to avoid global war, and that is to win the Cold War. "
President D.D. Eisenhower, 1953

"By the grace of God, we won the Cold War. "
George H.W. Bush, 1992

"And so the greatest of American triumphs.became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades."
- Robert M. Gates, 1996

"The Cold War was a war, and we won it. "
Donald Rumsfeld, 2005

Chaiman Sean Eagan (Cold War and Gulf War Veteran)
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
Web: http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog: Cold War Veterans Blog
Email: Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone: 716-708-0130