Senate Resolution No. 1337

BY: Senator BRESLIN

COMMENDING Sergeant Terry Fox upon the occasion of
his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the
highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New
York State Senate

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

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Sergeant
Terry Fox upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty
Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York
State Senate; and

WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by
Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special
commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of
their fellow New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, Terry Fox was born the second of four children to Francis
X. Fox and Gwendolyn Lenore Gramm in the Lansingburgh section of Troy,
New York, on September 1, 1948; he graduated from Lansingburgh High
School in June of 1966; and

WHEREAS, Upon the completion of his studies, Terry Fox enlisted in
the United States Marine Corps; serving his nation with honor and
distinction, this courageous man completed two tours of duty in the
Vietnam War from 1966 to 1970; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his illustrious military career, Terry Fox rose
through the ranks of the United States Marine Corps, beginning his Basic
Training in 1966, on Paris Island, North Carolina; he swiftly moved on
to Advanced Infantry Training, Crewman Training and to the West Pacific
for Combat Infantryman training; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1960s, Sergeant Terry Fox was stationed at
Marble Mountain, southwest of Danang Airfield, Quang Nam Province,
Vietnam; here he was assigned to Headquarters in Squadron 16 serving as
engine mechanic and later becoming a jet engine mechanic; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Terry Fox was then transferred to the Marine
Medium Helicopter Squadron where he was assigned an array of Military
Police Duties; during this time, he extended his tour of duty to accept
an assignment to HMM 161 in Quang Tri Province where he began flying
CH-46 D helicopters in May of 1968; and

WHEREAS, Under his skillful leadership, from November of 1968 to
March of 1970, Sergeant Terry Fox flew many missions in support of the
Marines just south of the Demilitarized Zone; his unit set records which
stand to this day for transporting men and materials while under fire in
the "hot zone" of intense combat action; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, he earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for
participating as a Crew Chief in the rescue of an embattled and trapped
Marine Recon Team pushed to the edge of a 4,000-foot cliff atop Tiger
Mountain on the Laotian border; and

WHEREAS, At the end of his two and a half years of combat service in
Vietnam, Sergeant Terry Fox returned home to a grateful nation in March
of 1970, before completing his military service aboard the USS Guam,
assisting the citizens of Peru after a severe earthquake; and

WHEREAS, For his courage, superior professionalism and unwavering
devotion to duty in the face of great danger during the Vietnam War,
Sergeant Terry Fox was the proud recipient of numerous awards and
accolades, including a Presidential Unit Citation and an Air Medal; he
also earned 53 Strike Flight Awards for Aerial Combat over Vietnam and
Southeast Asia; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Terry Fox returned to the United States and spent
a year in Southwest Florida before returning to this hometown where he
began his illustrious career with the Troy Fire Department in 1977; he
retired at the esteemed rank of Captain in 2005; and

WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his three daughters and five
grandchildren, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of his life and
rejoice in his many achievements; 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 risked their
lives for their beloved Nation; and

WHEREAS, Our Nation's veterans deserve to be recognized, commended
and thanked by the people of the State of New York for their service and
for their dedication to their communities, their State and their Nation;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Sergeant Terry Fox upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an
individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Sergeant Terry Fox.