Cold War Veterans Blog

Veterans group leader questions county board action

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By Sean Eagan
Daily Messenger
Posted Dec 12, 2008 @ 11:44 AM

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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 Calabrese’s 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 harm’s 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