Veteran of the Year Award

WAVEM hoping to bring back former Moose Club award to honor local veterans

WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. » The Madison County War Veterans Memorial Committee is looking to bring back the Veteran of the Year awards program.

The program was originally sponsored and operated by the Oneida Moose Club, but discon- tinued in the early 2000s.

The Madison County War Veterans Memorial Committee board of directors said in a release the format of the awards will be similar to that of the Oneida Moose Club’s award program.

“The Moose Club would go around, county wide, and find veterans. They’d look what they did in the military, their qualifications, medals and more,” WAVEM Committee President Doug Ginney said. “The new program will try to bring this award back so we can host a dinner and give them an award.”

Ginney said the main goal of the programis to get different veterans out there and in the public eye for their deeds and honor them.

Currently, the Madison County War Veterans Memorial Committee has paperwork it has to do first and to find a place to host the dinner, Ginney said, but the goal

is to have the first award this coming Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

WAVEM board member Ben Barrett said he had to have been one of the last few people to get the award from the Oneida Moose Club and was sad to see it go away.

Barret said right now, the award program is in its infancy and they still need to send forms out to American Legions and VFWs to get nominees.

“We’re going to work on it all summer,” Ginney said. “We’re going to go through every group of veterans out there and give them a chance to nominate some- one who they feel is qualified.”

Ginney and Barrett both said while it does play a part in the decision, the award is not just based on combat experience. The decision of who is Veteran of the Year will fall under a number of criteria, including service to the community and participation in local programs.

The Madison County War Veterans Memorial Committee will have their own judgement panel and choose who they believe is most qualified for the title of Veteran of the Year.

Ginney said anyone interested in nominating a veteran for the Veteran of the Year Award should contact Ben Barrett through the Madison County War Veterans at 315-824-3074.

DISPATCH STAFF PHOTO WAVEM members bow their heads in a moment of silence for fellow members who have died during the pass year during a Memorial Day Service in Wampsville. Photo taken on Friday, May 30, 2014.