Mark A. Cozzupoli, director of Ulster County’s Veteran Services Agency, announced on July 25 that Gardiner resident Jack Hayes was the county’s July Veteran of the Month. Hayes, a longtime Ulster resident who served in the Navy and Air Force, has spent many years supporting his county and nation through his military duties, government positions, and police management.

Originally from Brooklyn, Hayes and his family moved to Ulster County when he was 12. He graduated from the Fallsburg Central School District in 1964 and earned his master’s in public administration from Marist College. During the Vietnam War, Hayes joined the U.S. and served as a boilerman on the USS Kenneth D. Bailey; he later transferred to the USS Zellars for a NATO mission.

After returning home from the Vietnam War, Hayes joined the New York State Police, starting as a troop and eventually becoming a master sergeant of emergency management. He served 33 years in the police force and worked for stations in Ellenville, Highland, Kingston, and others in the Hudson Valley. After retiring from the NYSP in 2000, Hayes returned to the military and became a loadmaster for the 105th Airlift Wing of the Stewart Air National Guard. Some of the missions he participated in included Operation Just Cause during the Panama Invasion and both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War. Combined with his role as a training and education manager, he served 22 years in the Air Force.

Outside of his military duties, Hayes served various government positions in Ulster County, including former town supervisor for Gardiner and former country legislator. Within his communities, he is a parishioner of Saint Charles Borromeo, a lifetime member of the VFW post in New Paltz, and vice commander of the American Legion Rose Sheeley Post 1034.

“Jack is also a proud father and grandfather and shares his life with two rescue cats and a grand-dog,” Cozzupoli said. “Congratulations, Jack Hayes, for your extraordinary dedication and service!”