[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 193 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING TJ McGARVEY

 Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I wish to honor the life of Vietnam 
veteran TJ McGarvey of Upper St. Clair, PA. Mr. McGarvey passed away at 
age 74 on November 13, 2017. He is survived by his loving family and 
the countless friends and neighbors whose lives he touched during a 
lifetime of service and commitment to his country and community.
  As a member of ``The Walking Dead,'' 1st battalion, 9th Marines, Cpl 
TJ McGarvey served in Vietnam from March 1967 to April 1968. Only a 
month after deploying to Vietnam, Corporal McGarvey was wounded. 
However, he refused to accept the Purple Heart medal he earned because 
he did not want to upset his mother with the news.
  For many, having served their country in war fulfilled a selfless act 
of duty--not so for Corporal McGarvey. His service to his country and 
fellow vets would remain a constant for his entire life. TJ was 
cofounder of the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program, a member of the 
Friends of Danang, and a fierce advocate for soldiers exposed to Agent 
Orange, and their families.
  Just days before his death, his hometown of Upper St. Clair held a 
Veterans Day ceremony at the town's Veterans Monument Park. Much of the 
ceremony would honor TJ, whom a fellow veteran called ``the ultimate 
Marine.'' The park was the brainchild of TJ, who served as its 
president and key fundraiser. It honors every branch of the military 
and serves as both a monument to veterans and an educational instrument 
for visitors and local students.
  TJ was known as a man of deep faith, committed to his family, and a 
leader in his community. As a longtime football coach at St. Louise de 
Marillac, generations of students looked to TJ as a mentor.
  Ultimately, TJ's legacy will be forever linked to his efforts to 
ensure that veterans of the U.S. military will never be forgotten. In 
the 1980s, TJ tirelessly fought to erect a Vietnam veterans monument in 
Pittsburgh. The monument was dedicated on Veterans Day 1987.
  The beautiful dedication to the soldiers who fought, died, and went 
missing in America's war with Vietnam lies peacefully along the banks 
of the Allegheny River on Pittsburgh's north side. A fitting tribute to 
the heroes of southwestern Pennsylvania ploughed by a man who lived a 
life quiet and humble, yet loud enough to help spark a change in the 
hearts of many. Here, at the confluence of three rivers which defines a 
community, TJ's poem defines the ethos of the monument--a tribute, but 
more so a fulfillment of a commitment to ensure our soldiers will never 
again be denied these two words: ``Welcome Home.''
  It is with these words, etched in brass for all to see, that TJ 
adopted the voice of a remorseful community to right a wrong and 
fittingly honor a generation of heroes:

     Welcome home to proud men and women

     We begin now to fulfill promises
     To remember the past
     To look to the future

     We begin now to complete the final process
     Not to make political statements
     Not to offer explanations
     Not to debate realities

     Monuments are erected so that the future might remember the 
           past

     Warriors die and live and die

     Let the Historians answer the political questions

     Those who served--served
     Those who gave all--live in our hearts
     Those who are left--continue to give

     As long as we remember--

     There is still some love left.

  TJ McGarvey's lasting legacy will not die, fade away, or be 
forgotten. As a small token of a grateful nation, I ask that the U.S. 
Senate stand with me to salute Cpl TJ McGarvey for a life dedicated to 
God, family, and his brothers in arms, reflecting great credit upon 
himself and the U.S. Marines.

                          ____________________