Horrigan, who spent 27 years in the United States Air Force, was inducted into the state Senate Veteran’s Hall of Fame Thursday. Horrigan, who is also a former county executive, county legislator, and director of the Southwestern NY Chapter of the American Red Cross, is a retired colonel who logged more than 3,500 hours as a fighter pilot in front-line aircraft like the F-4, F-15 and F-16. His military assignments included service as a USAF fighter weapons school instructor, NATO tactical systems and readiness evaluator, security assistance program manager for the Pacific Rim Countries and Deputy Commander for Combat Air Forces for the 50th Fighter Wing in the United Kingdom and 3rd Air Force in Europe. As a senior officer, he held Command, Pentagon and NATO international assignments.

State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown, said he has known Horrigan for many years from his many roles in the community, which also includes being a former Rotary president. Goodell said he was always confident Horrigan would accomplish whatever task he decided to take on.

“We knew he would leave whatever he did better,” he said. “Where ever Vince was, whether it was in the service or in the county, he made long-term progress.”

State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, said he first met Horrigan during a “100-year” flood that occurred in Silver Creek in 2009 when Horrigan was the director of the local American Red Cross. He said since then Horrigan has become a friend and a mentor.

From left, state Assemblyman Andy Goodell, state Sen. George Borrello, former County Executive Vince Horrigan, Greg Carlson, Chautauqua County Veterans Services Agency director, and Susan Rowley, Lake Erie NY Chapter 4 Blue Star Mothers of America president, during Horrigan’s state Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

“The service you have done is just commendable,” Borrello said.

Borrello said Horrigan is someone who inspires others to dedicate their lives to being leaders. He said Horrigan has just not impacted people in Chautauqua County, but throughout the country as a military leader.

“Your service has impacted people for decades,” he said.

Susan Rowley, Lake Erie NY Chapter 4 Blue Star Mothers of America president, said Horrigan’s sense of community has been a benefit to the county and country.

“Vince has served our country and our county to the extreme,” she said. “He has an incredible heart for community service, which he proved during his military career. After retiring from the Air Force, he and his wife, Barb, decided to return home to our community where he stepped up again to serve as our county executive. Our county was able to benefit from his great wealth of community spirit and military training that he combined into bringing people together and showing them how to work together as a community.”

Greg Carlson, Chautauqua County Veterans Services Agency director, said, as a former member of the Air Force, that he could tell right away that Horrigan was an “Airmen’s Airman” because he had the well-being of fellow county employees in mind.

“Col. Horrigan wasn’t just an aviator or an officer, but rather an Airmen’s Airman,” Carlson said. “His priority was the people he served with and those who served under his command, as he understood the key to mission accomplishment were the Airmen tasked to complete the mission.”

Horrigan said his good fortune during his military career and in Chautauqua County is because of his wife, Barbara, who has been the key. He said after he graduated from Kent State University in 1971, he joined the Air Force because it was the most appealing military option, plus he had already received his pilot’s license.

Horrigan talked about how some former military personnel unfortunately deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and how they’re experiencing the psychiatric disorder because all they wanted to do was serve their country. He said people should remember those who served in the military not just on Veterans Day, but all days.

“It’s important to stop and reflect,” he said.