POUGHKEEPSIE – A well-attended ceremony was held at the VFW Post 170 in Poughkeepsie to honor one of the 2026 inductees into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. With more than 100 people in attendance, Senator Rob Rolison presented his inductee, Nathan Grant, known as “Nate the Great”.
Grant, the youngest of 12 children, was drafted into the Army in 1965, following the path of three of his brothers. Following training, he arrived in Vietnam in 1966 as part of the Ninth Infantry Division. He began combat missions in 1967 and served in one of the most dangerous roles in the military…Grant was a Tunnel Rat.
Describing his first foray into the deadly job, he told those gathered how he was ordered to trade his M-16, grenade launcher, and backpack for a flashlight and sent into a tunnel to search for the enemy. A second soldier crawled behind him, armed with a pistol, in the event Grant illuminated a VietCong soldier.
Grant eventually returned stateside, settling in the Hudson Valley, where he is a life member of VFW Post 170 and Commander of American Legion Post 37 in Poughkeepsie.
Known far and wide as Nate the Great, has spent a lifetime of service to the country and his fellow veterans.
In addition to raising a family, Grant has authored two children’s books and can be found throughout the Hudson Valley, assisting veterans.
Senator Rolison referred to Grant as a hero who performed one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, to protect American freedoms.
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