The following is a transcript of state
Senator Don White's statement upon his induction into the
Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Hall of Fame on July 31.
"As (Major) General (Jessica) Wright and
General (William) Lynch, for that matter, have heard me say
many times this is pretty heady stuff for an old Spec 4. I
certainly wasn't in any Army Hall of Fame, I know that. This
is overwhelming to me.
"You know I had the great honor of being
the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
Preparedness Committee for roughly five-and-a-half years and
during that five-and-half years I had the opportunity to
work with two Adjutant Generals who compare to anything the
state has ever had, in General Lynch and General Wright.
"Their passion -- and especially what has
happened since 2001 -- our roles changed dramatically. Our
lives changed dramatically. When put in that situation, me
as a Chairman, I was dependent on their staffs, and their
leadership, and their knowledge. They made it happen. The
people I had the chance to work with, plus my staff, were
instrumental in anything we were able to do.
"Yes, I have a passion for Scotland
School (for Veterans Children) because that is something we
should all be proud of as Pennsylvanians and as veterans.
And yes, I tried to do as much as I could for our National
Guard, our true citizen soldiers, and the families they left
behind.
"So, I am humbled, I am honored, to be in
put in the classification with Representative Tigue and
General Posey. It is more than I can really handle, but
thank you and God bless you all. Thank you very much."
