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Captain James Van Thach: An American Hero

“ It goes back to 9/11.  I was in my house studying for my law school classes…. I turned on TV to take a fast break…. I saw the images of the first plane hitting the tower…. then the second plane hit… I learned that my country was under attack from foreign terrorists. I wanted to honor all the people who had been murdered on 9/11 and do my part to protect America from ever again suffering such a heinous attack…. I felt the way to accomplish that would not be by sitting behind a desk, but by fighting the enemy face to face in the battlefield.”

Captain James Van Thach: An American Hero

By Robert Golomb

General_David_Petraeus_&_Captain_James_Van_Thach

General David Petraeus congratulating Captain James Van Thach for completing the task of establishing Combat Outpost Shocker in Iraq. November 2007, Baghdad, Iraq,

It can be reasonably assumed that upon their graduation most of the several hundred students of Touro Law School’s Class of June 2002 were preparing to take their upcoming bar examinations and looking forward to starting their careers in the public or private legal sector once (and if) they passed them.

Such as a general rule is the professional path followed by most law school graduates across America. But that generalization has its exceptions, a most notable one is Captain James Van Thach.

Thach, who had served in the Army reserves beginning his 1994 freshman year at St. John’s University, was commissioned a Lieutenant in 1998. In 2002, because he had a law degree, the Army offered Thach the position of attorney within the Army’s legal division.


Lincoln Dinner 2014 Video: John Burnett Delivers Lincoln Day Address

NYC 2013 Comptroller candidate John Burnett delivered Lincoln Day Address

He is a great friend and a great Republican, and if people knew him, knew their history and knew what a Comptroller’s job was, John Burnett would be the New York City Comptroller today. 

Historian Jerry Matacotta introduced John Burnett at the Lincoln Day Dinner saying that he is a nice person. But more important than being a nice person, is that John is a man of character and values, not just rhetoric. He is a great friend and a great Republican, and if people knew him, knew their history and knew what a Comptroller’s job was, John Burnett would be the New York City Comptroller today.


Protecting Our Finest

 

Officer James Li

Officer James Li

NYPD Officer, James Li, a rookie officer survived a shooting this week allegedly by a cop-hating fugitive. Two off-duty EMTs helped save his life  and he was released from the hospital on Friday. Frederick R. Bedell Jr., a resident of Glen oaks Village, wrote the following letter published in the New York Post, which echoes all of our sentiments and praise for our heroic NYPD and EMS workers.


Captain James Van Thach Featured Speaker at March Club Meeting

“My sacrifice had to be made because of the opportunities given to me from the men and women who sacrificed their lives and died for our country. I had to do the same in their honor, to protect our nation and protect the unborn of this country so that they might live in a peaceful world.”

Captain James Văn Thạch small photoWe are delighted to announce that Captain James Van Thach, U.S. Army (Ret.), a highly decorated United States Army veteran, will be our featured speaker at the March 6th Queens Village Republican Club Meeting. He will discuss his service and sacrifice to our nation as a soldier who was wounded twice in the line of duty in Iraq. He is a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient, and is the first Vietnamese-American to become an advisor to the New Iraqi Army. In recognition of his service, Captain Thach was given the honorary title of Brigadier General by the Iraqi government.

Captain Thach, a native of Bellerose, Queens comes from a family with a long history of dedicated military service to our nation. His father, Lt. Col. John Peterkin was recently honored as the Veteran of the Year for his valiant service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, at the glorious Lincoln Day Dinner. Captain Thach was proudly in attendance and used the opportunity to discuss his ideas and initiatives on behalf of wounded veterans with Rep. Peter King, Councilman Ulrich and other public officials. As a Veteran’s Advocate with Wounded Veteran Initiative of Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), Captain Thach will be discussing some of these initiatives with the Club as well.


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