Wednesday, August 22, 2007

President George W. Bush, Department of Defense honor McKinney resident Harry McKillop

By Pegasus News wire

MCKINNEY — In a ceremony in Waco, Texas on Monday, August 20, President George W. Bush honored Harry E. McKillop of McKinney, Texas for more than 40 years of unselfish service to Americans in need around the world. For his humanitarianism and patriotic service, Mr. McKillop was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service.

Upon receiving the award, Mr. McKillop said, "I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award, one that I accept on behalf of the many people who have helped through the years in the searches to find our Americans, free them and bring them home. There is no greater reward than to be able to help fellow Americans in peril and need."

The saga of Harry McKillop's worldwide humanitarian campaigns began dramatically in 1969 when he directed and managed the massive logistics of a high-profile trip of the wives of American Prisoners of War to Vietnam to provide supplies and relief to our POWs there. While the supplies never made it through Communist governments there to the American POWs, a strong message to the world did. More importantly, the POWs themselves heard of the effort, and for them it was a critical sign of caring and hope, and sparked renewed will to make it the rest of the way.

Mr. McKillop made additional trips in the 70's and 80's to Vietnam, as well as Laos and Cambodia, to continue the search for and ultimately the return of Americans there. While Mr. McKillop himself was never part of the spotlight, his work definitely was, as world attention was repeatedly focused on the trips and the plight of American POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War.

Mr. McKillop's interest and tireless efforts in helping other Americans and supporters continued long afterwards, including the recovery of 170 Nung Vietnamese from High Island, Hong Kong for relocation to the United States and assisting a family of six in their escape to the United States during the Kosovo Crisis. He still pursues active searches today on a global basis.

Harry McKillop continues to pursue additional leads of POWs, and in particular eight men whom he believes are still alive from the Vietnam War. He is also still involved in locating and returning the remains of Ambassador Raul Wallenberg, a World War II protector of refugees, to his Swedish homeland; resolving a purported kidnapping and incarceration in Costa Rica; and locating an MIA pilot in the Middle East.

In 2003, The Harry McKillop Irish Spirit Award was established to honor the life and work of Mr. McKillop, whose lifelong commitment to principle and "Irish Spirit" values has fueled his dedication to helping people and saving lives. Each year the award is given to a person of Irish or Irish-American descent, selected by the Award's Trustees, the Ireland Funds and the Dublin and Belfast Chambers of Commerce for the individual's extraordinary acts of humanitarianism.

Mr. McKillop is a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus, and is a former Grand Knight of the New World Council 9903 in McKinney, and a member of the 4th Degree Assembly 2266 in Plano, Texas. He has also been honored by the McKinney Fire Department as an Honorary Battalion Chief.

Source: The Harry McKillop Irish Spirit Award

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