Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus honored Town of Wallkill resident Mike Cody Jr. as February’s Citizen of the Month for his exceptional dedication to local veterans and his service to the country.
A Vietnam War veteran, Cody earned the Purple Heart, Bronze and Silver stars, and numerous humanitarian awards for his service.
“I have had the honor of meeting Mike at a variety of events in the County and have always been inspired by his passion for assisting our veterans,” Neuhaus said. “I enjoyed reconnecting with Michael and recognizing him with this well-deserved award. His passion for serving our veterans is evident in everything he does. He prefers to work behind the scenes, but he deserves this recognition.”
Despite retiring after 30 years from the Town of Wallkill DPW and serving as past president of the Silverlake Fire Department, Cody remains active. As President of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Committee, Cody has played a pivotal role in the development of memorials at the Town of Wallkill Veterans’ Park. For more than 30 years, the committee, initially known as the American Soldier Statue Committee, has worked tirelessly to create memorials honoring veterans from various conflicts. The park, thanks to Cody’s dedication, now hosts ceremonies and features monuments for each U.S. conflict.
Cody’s latest project, the Vietnam Memorial Wall, a replica of the one in Washington DC, is set to be completed in April 2024. Mike encourages veterans and families to engrave names on the wall, a tradition observed every Veterans Day and Memorial Day. In addition to his committee work, Cody independently established the Purple Heart Park near Silverlake Scotchtown Road, maintaining flower beds, cutting grass, and installing monuments honoring veterans and 9/11 heroes. His commitment and contributions are a testament to his unwavering dedication to honoring and remembering those who served.
“I want to thank County Executive Neuhaus for taking the time to acknowledge my service and my work with the veteran’s community,” Cody said. “We have a wonderful core group that is dedicated to this mission and I couldn’t do this without them. I am very proud to be a veteran and am grateful for the opportunity to work with my brothers and sisters in the veteran’s community.”
Neuhaus introduced his Citizen of the Month Award, which acknowledges outstanding Orange County residents, in January of 2017. To nominate someone for the Citizen of the Month Award, please email ceoffice@orangecountygov.com or mail a letter to “Citizen of the Month” at 255-275 Main Street Goshen, N.Y. 10924. Be sure to include the nominee’s name, hometown, a list of their accomplishments, why you are nominating them and any other pertinent information.