Adam Grinvalsky ’21: Honoring NY's Capital Region Veterans

When Adam Grinvalsky ’21 was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2014, he was happy to put his military experience behind him. He had spent four years working as an aviation ordnanceman on an aircraft carrier, placing bombs and missiles onto planes.

During his deployment in the Persian Gulf, he spent his days toiling in 115-degree heat, under the grueling hot sun. By night, he slept in a berthing unit below deck with 40 other sailors, stacked three beds high. “Nothing was comfortable at all,” he says.

It was the kind of experience where he formed lifelong bonds — and one he was happy to leave behind when he returned home to the Capital Region.

Back Home

Grinvalsky grew up in Mechanicville, N.Y., the son of a Navy man who had served in the Lebanon conflict in 1982. His paternal grandfather was in the Navy as were his uncles; his maternal grandfather served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

“It wasn’t anything that was forced upon me, but all the sea stories and stories of traveling the world really resonated with me,” he says. “And I needed to get out of Mechanicville and go experience life.”

After his service, Grinvalsky got a job working for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services. He graduated from SUNY Schenectady County Community College in 2018 and three years later, got a degree in business, management and economics from Empire State University.

He also got married and started a family with his wife Lucy. Together they’re raising a son and daughter in Galway, NY.

Back to the Military

As time went on, Grinvalsky sensed a void in his life. “I was missing the camaraderie, the camaraderie I had when I was in the service,” he says. “I've never been able to find it again, and I don't think I ever will. I think a lot of servicemen and women can relate to that.”

At Lucy’s encouragement, Grinvalsky got involved in the area’s veteran community. He now serves on the board of the Capital Region Veterans Memorial’s "Legacy Project," which is working to create memorials honoring Capital Region Veterans. Each “pod” will commemorate one of the seven major conflicts of the last century — World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, The Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan — and feature a monument, battlefield cross, and historical elements.

The project is located at the Legacy House and Legacy Park in Glenville, NY, a resource center and gathering place for area Veterans that opened in 2023. A café and welcome center are in the works.  

In addition to “The Legacy Project,” Grinvalsky serves as the IT and communications officer at the Legacy House. He helped create a computer room for Veterans to use to connect with family, explore job opportunities, or pursue an education. He also helps to update the organization’s website and manages their social media platforms and email account.

Working on the memorial and using his IT skills to help local Veterans has been rewarding for Grinvalsky, who is the third vice commander of the American Legion Post 234 Ballston Spa and an active member of VFW Post 358 Ballston Spa.

“I just want to honor our Veterans, both the living and the dead who served the Capital Region, by establishing this house and memorial and making it a nice area for people to visit,” he says. “It's something I’m passionate about.”