The section of the Route 301 between NY 9D and US 9 is designated as the Sergeant Albert Ireland Memorial Highway. In 2015, one of four Putnam County Sheriff Patrol Boats was names after him. So who was this guy?
Albert Ireland was a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant. Ssgt Ireland was awarded the Purple Heart Medal nine (9) times for wounds received in action, the most Purple Hearts ever awarded to a single member of the Armed Forces of the United States. He was wounded five times while fighting in the Pacific Theater during World War II and four times while in action in Korea. He was a resident of Nelsonville, and he is buried in Cold Spring Cemetery.
Here’s a link to the National Purple Heart Roll of Honor page that documents each incident: