Helen Teresa Lynch-Cassidy

Helen Teresa Lynch-Cassidy was born on September 18 1925. She is a woman of intelligence and compassion. A woman of humor and humility. A woman who although raised in the sexist climate of the 1930's went on to help secure freedom in a time of the world's greatest tyranny.

 As millions of American men marched off to fight World War II the women were left behind to fight the war on the homefront. While many became "Rosie the Riveter" others dedicated their lives to the preservation of democracy and freedom. My mother Helen Teresa Lynch-Cassidy was such a woman.

 In 1943 with two of her brothers off fighting overseas my mother went to work as a travel coordinator for the British government. Congress had enacted the Lend-Lease Act in 1941 supplying war materiels to the Allies. It was Lend-Lease that enabled a battered Great Britain to regain her strength. My mother arranged national and international travel for the inspectors so they could examine the supplies shipped to Great Britain.

This Lend-Lease office occupied three floors of a building on Wall Street in New York City and employed 500-600 people. My mother was also in charge of the payroll. In 1946, with the war won, the office closed. My mother made all the arrangements to have the entire office transferred to Ottowa, Canada. She then went to work for the French government. She was in charge of billing France for all staples-such as grain-purchased from the United States under the Marshall Plan. My mother then went on to marry and raise four children. She instilled in me the belief that I should strive to attain my highest goals and to never look back on life with regret. She taught me to be proud of being a woman. She instilled in me a love of country and freedom.

 But most of all she taught me that I could be anything I want to be. I just have to believe in myself as much as she believes in me. Helen Teresa Lynch-Cassidy is a wonderful person. She is my mother. She is my best friend.

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