Each month Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan honors a living Veteran, acknowledging them with a citation for their service to the country and the role they played in ensuring that Americans remain safe and that freedom and democracy survive.

Recently, Olaf “Sandy” Olson was a recipient of this honor at a ceremony that was held at the Plattekill Veterans Memorial Park. He joined the Navy on January 3, 1943 when he was 20 years old. In 1944 he qualified for First Patrol on a submarine, the USS Spadefish [SS-411], and went on three patrols – two in the Pacific and one in the Sea of Japan. On the latter patrol, the Spadefish was a member of a nine boat wolf pack, named the “Hydeman’s Hellcats.” They were armed with a newly developed mine detecting device that allowed them to safely penetrate the mine fields of the Tsushima Strait, gaining access to the Sea of Japan. In all the Spadefish sank 32 enemy ships including 2 destroyers and 1 aircraft carrier. It appears more were sunk, but anything under 200 tons was not counted. He served until January 26, 1946.

After the war Olson worked for his father-in-law driving tucks in New York City until 1949 when Olson and his wife Rose and their newborn son Louis moved to Highland, NY to operate the family farm. A daughter Karen was born soon thereafter. After a hard days work on the farm Olson put in a shift at the Shatz Federal Bearing Company in Poughkeepsie at night. The couple were married for 62 years before Rose passed away in 2009. There are 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Ulster County Director of Veteran Services, Mark Cozzupoli, said they have been honoring a Veteran each month for nearly a year.

“For me, personally, it is an honor to be able to find other Veterans in the county and recognize them for their service and for what they’ve done and to make them feel good about their service and that we appreciate what they did whether it was 75 years ago like Sandy or 4 years ago. It’s really fun to do it and it warms our hearts to be able to recognize other people.”

Plattekill Supervisor Joe Croce said, “I think it is a great thing to honor a Veteran every month here in Ulster County and we’re here to honor Sandy Olson.”

County Executive Ryan said, “We talk about the Greatest Generation and it’s the willingness at a time of great crisis and need and fear to step up and to serve. In your case Sandy it was to put yourself in a small ship underneath the water, which to me is about the scariest thing to do and to literally navigate underwater mine fields using specialized sonar, the cutting edged technology at that time. I can’t even think and appreciate how many lives you and your shipmates and fellow service members saved with the work that you did and the risks that you took. There is nothing that we can do or say that could fully honor that, but I think that it is absolutely vital that we all take these opportunities when we can find them to recognize someone like you, who won’t take any credit because of the kind of selfless person that you are. It is really my distinct privilege to honor you as our Ulster County Veteran of the Month, not just for your service 75 years ago but also for the work that you’re continuing to do in your community. You’re a true servant leader who not only served in war but has served here back at home.”

Ryan concluded by telling Olson that the goal of these ceremonies for Veterans is to let everyone in the county know his story and about his service to the nation.

“Thank you for inspiring us, the next generation,” Ryan said.

Olson thanked everyone for coming to the ceremony, “and I’ve known most of them for a long time.”

Olson’s granddaughter Ashley R. Minard said at 99 years old, “Olaf is still serving his loving family and community and his dedication and love is cherished now as always. We are so proud and grateful to call him our grandpa.”

Ashley described her grandfather as, “the pillar of our family. He is very close with all the grand-kids and he has more energy sometimes than I think I do.”

Ashley said they all live at Maple Crest, a former 82 acre resort on Pancake Hollow Road in Highland that was run by her grandparents.

“We’re all around each other and get together every week for Sunday dinner,” she said.

In a subsequent interview, Ryan, himself an Army Veteran, said these ceremonies, “are probably some of the best moments of my job serving as the County Executive in getting to honor folks like Sandy. To remember what he went through and his generation went through and how they persevered and how they always had a spirit of service in it, keeps everything in perspective.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Olson reflected on the honor, responding in his own modest way.

“I feel very flattered but I also feel I don’t need this recognition; though not really, but I am slightly embarrassed by it, as I hate to be singled out.”