Former State Sen. Roy McDonald, a Vietnam veteran, to be honored at NYS Military Museum on October 25

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Roy McDonald

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK (10/15/2025) (readMedia)-- A ceremony honoring Vietnam veteran and former state Senator Roy McDonald as 2025 Veteran of the Year will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the New York State Military Museum, 61 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

The event is free and open to the public.

The annual award is co-sponsored by the Friends of the New York State Military Museum and the Uncle Sam Chapter of Upstate New York of the Association of the United States Army. Presidents of both organizations will present the award.

McDonald, an Army veteran, is from Troy, NY, and served in Vietnam from 1970-71 as an artillery forward observer with Troop C, 1-9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.

For 23 years McDonald was town and county supervisor for the town of Wilton. He was then elected to the New York State Assembly and served from 2002 to 2009. He was then elected to the state Senate, serving until 2013.

McDonald was born and raised in the Lansingburgh section of Troy. He currently lives with his family in Saratoga County. He graduated from the Lansingburgh Public School System and received his associate degree from Hudson Valley Community College and his bachelor's and master's degrees from the State University of New York at Oneonta. Both schools have honored McDonald with Distinguished Alumni Awards.

A decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, Roy served with the U.S. Army's First Cavalry Division. He participated in numerous combat assaults on the South Vietnam and Cambodian border as well as in Cambodia itself.

Roy was elected to the 43rd Senate District in 2008. Before that he served in the 112th Assembly District. As Wilton Town Supervisor he had a distinguished career including serving as chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors.

As a state legislator McDonald had a number of major initiatives passed and signed into law. The New York State Patriot Plans I, II, III were designed to provide safeguards, benefits and incentives to New York State military personnel, including National Guard and Reserves.

McDonald has been a leader regarding disability and autism awareness. He has two grandsons, Jacob and David, both of whom suffer from autism. Working at the state and local levels, Roy has hosted forums to listen and learn from community members who were dealing with autism spectrum disorders.

Roy is a banker by profession and is proud of his career journey that began many years ago as a laborer in the same local steel mill that employed his father and other relatives who also worked as laborers.

McDonald is the recipient of many awards including those from the Saratoga County ARC, the Saratoga County Economic Development Corp., the Wilton Volunteer Fire Department, the Wilton Emergency Squad, the New York State Correction Officers Police Benevolent Association, the New York State Nature Conservancy and the Saratoga PLAN. He has also been presented the Saratoga Good Scout Award, the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Man of the Year award and has been inducted into the Lansingburgh High School Foundation Hall of Fame.

Roy McDonald and his wife, Angelina Zaccagnino McDonald, are the parents of three daughters and six grandchildren. They live in Saratoga County.