John Behan - U.S. Marine Corps 1963-67
In Memory of John Behan - U.S. Marine Corps 1963-67
John L. Behan was born on Veteran's Day, November 11, 1944, and passed away January 28, 2021.
Mr. Behan's military career began with an initial assignment with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea after being honored as the "outstanding man" at the Marine Corps Training Depot located at Parris Island, South Carolina. He later went on to serve with the Seventh Fleet in the Caribbean Sea, and in 1965 joined the legendary First Marine Division for a tour of duty in Vietnam. While serving in Vietnam, Mr. Behan participated in numerous military operations including "Harvest Moon" and Starlight II".
On May 23, 1966, while on patrol 18 miles south of DaNang, Sergeant Behan was seriously wounded as a result of direct combat engagement with enemy forces and subsequently suffered the loss of both legs. In recognition of his bravery and service to our nation he was decorated seven times and is a recipient of New York State's highest military honor, the Conspicuous Service Cross. Despite the severity of his injury and the pessimism of his doctors, Mr. Behan overcame his handicap and learned to walk with the use of artificial limbs.
Mr. Behan retired from the United States Marine Corps on March1, 1967, retaining the rank of Sergeant. Following his service in the Armed Forces and a lengthy recovery at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, he returned to his home on Long Island where the Behan family owned and operated the "Peconic Queen" fishing fleet. Soon after his return, he established his own retail business.
Refusing to relinquish his competitive spirit and his life-long interest in athletics, he trained rigorously in order to achieve a position on the United States Wheelchair Olympic team.
His hard work and long hours of physical training paid off when he was chosen as a representative of America's wheelchair athletes and subsequently participated in the Fourth Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru in 1973, and in the first International Games for the disabled held in Toronto, Canada in 1976. Mr. Behan was selected to captain the amputee team, and received one gold, three silver, and one bronze medal. Continuing his commitment to the involvement of the disabled in sporting events and his concern with the betterment of the veteran community, he later served as the Director for Veteran Participation for the third International Games for the Disabled in 1984.
Mr. Behan began his formal political career as an elected official in the Town of East Hampton. He served in this capacity for three years before being elected to the New York Assembly in 1978. In 1980 he was overwhelmingly reelected with the largest plurality of any Assemblymen in New York, and was reelected in 1982 through 1992 and again in 1994 with over 70% of the popular vote.
As a Vietnam veteran and nine-term member of the State Legislature, Mr. Behan became the leading advocate of veteran's rights in the State Capitol. The driving force behind the creation of the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee in 1983, his stirring speech on the floor of the Assembly Chambers calling for the creation of a Veterans committee received a rare standing ovation from his colleagues in the legislature.
During his tenure in the Assembly, Mr. Behan organized a Vietnam Veterans Caucus to focus on the special concerns of Vietnam Veterans. In addition, he was the author of legislation which created the New York State Temporary Commission on Dioxin Exposure. He has received national recognition for his effort as a veteran advocate and was honored by the Agent Orange Victims International as "State Legislator of the Year". For his work on behalf of the disabled veterans, the Disabled American Veterans named Mr. Behan "Amputee of the Year" in 1980. The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored him as their first-ever recipient of the National Outstanding Veteran-Patient Award.
In 1985, Mr. Behan led the historic New York State Delegation to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This delegation focused on three major issues; POW-MIA, the status of Amerasian children, and the effects of the chemical defoliant Agent Orange. In April 1985, Mr. Behan was honored to lead along with Mayor Ed Koch New York City's "Welcome Home Parade to Vietnam Veterans" down the famed canyon of heroes.
In January of 1986, he was named Co-Chairman of the Suffolk County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission. The Commission, similar in nature to those in Washington D.C. and New York City, picked an appropriate design and site for the County Veterans Memorial, then raised funds for its creation.
Throughout his lifetime Mr. Behan has been the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions in appreciation of his dedicated public service. In 1976 Newsweek magazine named him as one of the 46 Americans who best represented our nation in its bicentennial year, and in 1985 the First Marine Corps District named Mr. Behan as the "Civilian Recruiter of the Year".
