Notes from the State Secretary  During the 1960s and 70s, thousands of Irishmen and Irish women came to the U.S.A. on work visas. During the Viet Nam war, many Irishmen were drafted into military service and others volunteered. As a result thousands of Irishmen and Irish women served with honor in our military during the conflict. The Irish Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Project is an effort to recognize their service and to commemorate the 28 Irishmen and one Irish woman killed in action during the war. In County Clare, the Ennis town council voted unanimously to provide a significant piece of property for the memorial. In September 2013 the Ennis town council tendered a request for design proposals. Sixteen Irish artisans competed. The winning design — “Reflections” — was selected earlier this year (see it at www.IVNVMP.org). It features a bronze statue of an Irish father staring into a circular infinity pool in front of three granite columns featuring the 29 names of the fallen. The Ennis town council set November 11, 2014 as dedication date. Donations have not met expectations and the project may be delayed, or worse. The Irish Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Project is a registered 501c. (3) Organization; therefore, donations are legitimate tax deductions. This project is endorsed by the Virginia AOH State Board, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Embassy of Ireland, and many other organizations. Your donations will assist in this worthy project. Donations can be made through www.IVNVMP.org  Also, I want to draw your attention to an important petition I recently signed to encourage the Secretary of the Navy to name the next Destroyer (due out in 2017) the “Patrick Gallagher”. Corporal Gallagher, an Irish-born, U.S. Marine who won the Navy Cross for heroism in Viet Nam. In a subsequent action a few weeks later he was KIA. The Secretary of the Navy has the authority to name destroyers for Navy and Marine Corps heroes. Patrick Gallagher fits the bill and would be the second non-US citizen to be so honored (the first being Sir Winston Churchill). I really think this is an important cause, and I’d like to encourage you to add your signature. It’s free and takes just a few seconds of your time. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/patrickgallagher .

Irish Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Project
and Patrick Gallagher