Denis Oliver’s decades of work helping Steuben County veterans were recognized Monday night at a ceremony in Bath, where state Sen. Tom O’Mara welcomed the retired service officer into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.
Family members, friends and fellow veterans attended the Sept. 21 gathering at American Legion Post 173. The local ceremony followed a statewide Hall of Fame recognition in Albany in May, giving Oliver’s home community an opportunity to mark the honor. Oliver was among roughly 60 veterans recognized at the Albany event, according to O’Mara’s office.
A career helping veterans navigate benefits
Oliver served in the U.S. Air Force from 1981 to 1985 as an aircraft armaments systems specialist. He was stationed in Germany and Maine, reached the rank of senior airman and received honors including the Air Force Achievement Medal.
After his military service, Oliver settled in Steuben County. He joined the county Veterans’ Service Agency as a service officer in 2004, counseling veterans and their families about education, employment, financial aid, health care, housing, job training and other state and federal services. O’Mara’s office said Oliver also mentored other service officers.
From 2019 until his retirement in 2024, Oliver worked as an adviser for the New York State Department of Veterans Services, helping veterans pursue rights and benefits.
“Denis has offered an unwavering commitment to the critical work of ensuring that veterans and their families receive the programs and services they deserve, need, and have earned,” O’Mara said in a statement about the Bath ceremony.
Service beyond the county office
Randy Metz of Bath, another Air Force veteran who has worked with Oliver on veterans’ initiatives for more than two decades, nominated him for the Hall of Fame. Metz described Oliver as a resource for veterans seeking answers and assistance with available programs.
Oliver is a past president of the County Veterans Service Officers Association of New York State. The American Legion Department of New York named him its Theodore S. Coleman Memorial Service Officer of the Year in 2011.
His volunteer work has included leadership roles with the American Legion and New York State Elks Association. O’Mara’s office said he has contributed more than 1,500 volunteer hours to the Bath VA Museum and medical center services and serves on the Wreaths Across America planning committee at Bath National Cemetery.
The Senate established its online Veterans Hall of Fame in 2005. Senators select veterans from their districts for recognition of both military service and civilian contributions; more than 1,000 New Yorkers have been inducted, according to O’Mara’s office.
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