Sen. Thatcher donates Per Diem pay to War Memorial

Oregon State Senator Kim Thatcher Press Release,

Senator Thatcher Donates Per Diem to Vietnam War Memorial

Supporting Vietnam Veterans is more than “just doing her job” —

Keizer – March 1, 2020 After totalling up her per diem allotment for the past week, State Senator Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer) decided to contribute $600 to the Vietnam War Memorial Fund. “Supporting those who served our country is more than just doing my job,” said Senator Thatcher. “As an American I’m honored to step up and help, because it’s the right thing to do.”

Thatcher is the only announced republican candidate in the race for Oregon’s next Secretary of State. She is currently boycotting the 2020 Legislative Session over an extremely flawed environmental legislative proposal which has been rushed through a dysfuctional process. Legislators are provided a $151 per day allowance during legislative sessions called a per diem.

“I made the first, of what I hope will be several donations to the Vietnam War Memorial, in honor of the late Dennis Richardson because this week marked the one year passing of his death,” noted Thatcher. “He was not only the of the most honorable elected officials I’ve ever known, but also a decorated Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam who helped people his whole life.”

The fund for a Vietnam War Memorial is a non-profit charity hoping to raise $2.7 million to construct a special memorial on the State Capitol Grounds by 2022. The late Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson is listed on the fund’s page full of endorsements. Senator Thatcher hopes to have her name on the page as well.

“There are many Vietnam veterans like myself who truly appreciate all the heartfelt efforts Kim Thatcher has made over the years to help vets not only through her legislative service, but also in the community,” said 69-year old David Sheelar, a Vietnam vet from northeast Salem. “She has compassion for our needs and I consider her a true patriot.” Sheelar served in the Army as a soldier in Vietnam January through November 1970, in the 25th Infantry Division.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs there are still more than 100,000 Vietnam war era veterans living in Oregon. Tens of thousands of Oregonians served during the war, and fund organizers point out 710 made the ultimate sacrifice.

Supporting this memorial is also personal for Thatcher having several veterans in her family, including a favorite uncle, Bob Pein, who served in Vietnam. Honoring veterans has been a privilege for Senator Thatcher throughout her years in the legislature.

In 2013 she championed the law to commemorate the World War II generation, designating the second Sunday in August as the “Spirit of ‘45” day (Senate Bill 832). Active duty members of the military or reserve members have also benefited from Thatcher’s work on a new law adopted in 2018. Senate Bill 1557 extended certain protections to students in higher education. Those who are attending Oregon’s public universities or community colleges and are ordered to active duty for 30 days or fewer now have more leniency on missing assignments, exams and other requirements.

This contribution to the Vietnam War Memorial is just the newest one of many charitable organizations Senator Thatcher has chosen to support. In the past year she has given to her church, the local food bank, YMCA, and Liberty House in Salem, to name a few just of the groups.

To learn more about the Vietnam War Memorial Fund go to: vietnamwarmemorialfund.org
For those who want to make a donation, information can be found at this link: http://vietnamwarmemorialfund.org/howtohelp.html