Veterans

Honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans

As the grandson of two WWII veterans and the proud brother of an Air Force veteran, I deeply appreciate how much we owe all veterans, active service members, and our gold-star and blue-star families. They have made it possible for us to enjoy the blessings of being American.

As your County Executive, I take the debt we owe all our military veterans to heart. That’s why in Putnam County we:

  • Honor our region’s rich history in being home to thousands of first responder and military families
  • Are Dedicated to providing top notch services to all our veterans through the county’s Veterans Service Agency
  • Support the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer to Peer program
  • Partner with advocates and agencies like Guardian Revival to deliver services to veterans closer to home
  • Provide for underserved homeless veterans with housing assistance through the only county owned and run Veterans Residence in the state.
  • Continue our Commitment to veterans & support the Honor Roll on Lake Gleneida in Carmel, NY.

When I was your Assemblyman, I helped ensure our veterans receive the compensation and recognition they have earned from a grateful nation. On the state level, I successfully:

  • Expanded benefits for combat veterans (Chap. 406, 2017)
  • Dedicated state properties after our fallen heroes, including Army Major Clayton Carpenter as well as our Atomic War Veterans (Chap. 37, 2017; Chap, 439, 2021)
  • Enhanced sick leave to veterans for healthcare services related to their military duties (Chap. 406, 2017)
  • Empowered local municipalities to establish specialty courts for veterans (Chap. 91, 2021)
  • Advocated for expanded eligibility of the MERIT Scholarship to assist our Gold Star Families.
  • Assured all state benefits were afforded to veterans from the LGBT community for their military service (Chap. 490, 2019)

We can never fully repay our veterans, but we must do all we can to honor and respect their service and sacrifice.