text: Submitted by the Public Information Office
  Niagara County Legislator Dave Godfrey said Niagara County is taking part in the annual Operation Greenlight campaign, which encourages residents, businesses and organizations to honor our veterans by placing a green light in a window of their home or business or illuminate the outside in some fashion.
  Godfrey, a Vietnam veteran, said the flagpole that carries the Niagara County and Purple Heart flags at the Purple Heart Memorial outside the Niagara County Courthouse in Lockport is illuminated green through the month of November. Veterans Day is celebrated Monday, Nov. 11.
  “Operation Greenlight is a coordinated effort by counties across the county to not only honor the men and women who served in our armed forces, but also highlight the services and programs available to help them through our local Veterans Services Agency,” Godfrey said. “We want our veterans to know that, while we celebrate them on Nov. 11, we are here for them all the time.”
  Godfrey said the county Veterans Service Agency in Lockport is staffed with professionals who can help veterans with anything they need, including filing important paperwork, fighting for benefits, securing medical appointments, finding counseling and more. The Niagara County Clerk’s Office also runs the “Thank A Vet” program, which entitles veterans to discounts on the purchase of goods and services at more than 500 participating businesses throughout Niagara County. Veterans can call the VSA at 716-438-4090 for more information on any of these services.
  Godfrey encouraged residents to visit the Purple Heart Memorial during November and stop into the courthouse to see the veterans display in the rotunda, including the actual Congressional Medal of Honor earned by World War I war hero Frank Joseph Gaffney.
  Pictures of the illuminated flagpole at the Niagara County Courthouse.