Honoring James L. McGuire upon the occasion of his designation as a recipient of an Honor Flight on May 2, 2026

Assembly Resolution No. 1272

BY: M. of A. Buttenschon

        HONORING James L. McGuire upon the occasion of his
        designation as a recipient of an Honor Flight on May
        2, 2026

  WHEREAS,  Members  of the Armed Services from the State of New York,
who have served so faithfully and courageously  in  wars  in  which  our
Nation's  freedom  was at stake, as well as in the preservation of peace
during peacetime, deserve a special salute from this  Legislative  Body;
and

  WHEREAS, Residents of this great State must never forget the courage
with  which these men and women served their country, and must recognize
that no greater debt is owed than that owed  to  those  who  gave  their
lives  for  their beloved Nation and to those who continue to be missing
in action; and

  WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud  to  honor  James  L.
McGuire  upon the occasion of his designation as a recipient of an Honor
Flight on Saturday, May 2, 2026; and

  WHEREAS, Honor Flights are an opportunity to recognize and thank the
Americans who secured our freedom  by  bringing  them  to  the  Nation's
capital to see the memorials that commemorate their service, giving them
a hero's welcome every step of the way; and

  WHEREAS,  Participation  in  an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the
opportunity to  share  this  momentous  occasion  with  other  comrades,
remember  the fallen, and share their stories and experiences with other
veterans; and

  WHEREAS, Currently, the Honor  Flight  Network  commends  those  who
served  during  World  War  II,  the  Korean  War,  the Vietnam War, and
veterans of any service era who are critically ill; in  New  York  State
alone,  more  than  5,000  members  of our armed services have fulfilled
their wish of visiting our  Nation's  capital  and  all  its  sites  and
memorials honoring our country's great history; and

  WHEREAS,  James  L.  McGuire  is  justly  deserving of this esteemed
privilege and opportunity for his  dedicated  service  with  the  United
States  Navy  beginning  in  1966;  he  completed  his basic training in
Davisville, Rhode Island and completed his  advanced  training  at  Camp
Lejune in North Carolina; and

  WHEREAS,  After  training,  James L. McGuire was quickly deployed to
Chu Lai, Vietnam as a Builder with  the  renowned  United  States  Naval
Construction  Battalions,  better known as the "Seabees", who serve with
the motto, "We Build, We Fight"; and

  WHEREAS, After nine months, James L. McGuire returned with the  rank
of  E4  as  a  Petty  Officer Third Class, served on Active Duty for two
years, and remained in service for another  two  years  as  a  civilian,
ready to return to active duty if called upon; and

  WHEREAS,  James  L.  McGuire has been a member of the VFW Post 6001,
where he received a Lifetime Membership for all of his  volunteer  work,
the VFW Post 8259, American Legion Posts 229 and 161, serving in various
officer roles; and

  WHEREAS,  In  his  civilian  life,  James  L.  McGuire displayed his
entrepreneurial spirit, starting  his  own  business,  Mr.  Tree,  which
served the communities of the Mohawk Valley; and

  WHEREAS,  Having exhibited their patriotism both at home and abroad,
these brave men and women of our military have demonstrated  their  love
for  their  country  and merit forevermore, the highest respect of their
State and Nation; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
honor  James  L.  McGuire  upon  the  occasion  of  his designation as a
recipient of an Honor Flight on May 2, 2026; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to James L. McGuire.