Assemblyman Robin Schimminger has urged veterans to apply for a Cold War Certificate, a program
throughout the state meant to honor those men and women who served their country during the
Cold War.
“The time to honor our state’s Cold Warriors is long overdue,” said Schimminger, later adding, “At a time when the threat of nuclear war put Americans at unease, Cold Warriors stood ready to take action, and their service to this great nation deserves recognition.”
Too often veterans go unnoticed, especially those who served in wars that were not as lauded as some. As a society we often recognize those veterans who served in World War II. Veterans who served in other wars, however, such as the Cold War, are not so easily acknowledged. Yet they were also willing, if need be, to sacrifice their lives. They risked so much to serve their country and its people.
We applaud Schimminger for creating this new certificate recognizing a group of veterans that often go unrecognized. We hope that residents take advantage of this and receive the acknowledgment that they rightly deserve.
Their contributions were great. Veterans of the Cold War participated in hundreds of military exercises and operations that promoted peace in the world. They airlifted supplies to Berlin in 1948, went on alert when Egypt claimed the Suez Canal in 1956 and blockaded Cuba during the 1962 missile crisis.
“There were no parades, no monuments and no victory or campaign medals to honor the service of these veterans,” Schimminger said.
Schimminger created an opportunity for veterans to receive recognition that’s long overdue, and we encourage residents to take advantage of this opportunity.
To be eligible for the certificate, the applicant must be a citizen of New York State or a citizen during the time of service in the armed forces. The applicant must also have been honorably discharged and have served between September 1945 and December 1991.
For more information, call Schimminger’s office at 716-873-2540 or email at schimmr@assembly.ny.state.
While we applaud any action that will recognize and honor our Cold War Veterans, we feel that a certificate is just not the same as a medal.
I do however encourage all New York Veterans to apply for this Cold War Certificate, which will let them know that they are not totally forgotten; and receive this honor and recognition.
---- Jerald Terwilliger Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans "We Remember" ---------------- "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
