This month, Friends is honored to highlight four inspiring veterans whose time on the water, both in the military and since, has deeply shaped their commitment to protecting the Salish Sea.
These leaders each play a vital role in advancing Friends’ work to Protect this Place. Ken Putney, Friends’ Data & Gifts Administrator, Joe Cohen, current board director living on Orcas Island and chair of Friends‘ Fund Development committee, and San Olson, former board director and current strategic advisor on Lopez Island, all served in the Navy. Ken Carrasco, the immediate past board president and a longtime volunteer and community scientist, served in the Coast Guard.
From navigating oceans around the world to witnessing firsthand the impacts of pollution and oil spills, each of them carries experiences that continue to inspire their dedication to healthy shorelines, thriving habitats, and resilient waters. Veterans like these individuals are an important part of the Friends community.
We asked them to reflect on how their service shaped their connection to the ocean and how those experiences continue to fuel their passion for protecting the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea.
Here’s what they had to say…
Q: What first drew you to serve your Country, and how did that experience deepen your connection to the ocean and shorelines, shaping how you see them today?
Ken Putney:
I grew up in the Midwest and had never even seen an ocean before I joined the Navy. Like many farm kids, I signed up for the educational opportunities, never expecting to make a full career of it. I’m grateful I did, because in the process I fell in love with the entire world.
I had a non-traditional military career, often choosing assignments based on travel opportunities rather than promotions. What continues to impact me most is the sense of interconnectedness. From Friday Harbor, you can set sail and reach any coastline on Earth without touching land in between. Alongside the military missions, I experienced moments that shaped me forever: walking with penguins in Antarctica, watching porpoises play in the Mediterranean bow wave, seeing swirling nests of sea snakes in the Red Sea, and cleaning beaches along four of the seven seas.
The stark contrast between the shorelines of developed and developing countries stayed with me. It made me want to do more than just admire the beauty of the ocean—I wanted to help protect it. I’ve always joined in local beach cleanups, but working with Friends has given me my first real opportunity to make a lasting difference for the health of shorelines and sea.
Joe Cohen:
My dad encouraged me to apply to the Naval Academy in 1965/66. He had served in World War II and the Korean War as an electronic technician on ships and aircraft. Though I had always lived near water while growing up, we went out to sea in the Navy, and I could see firsthand the beauty and power of nature.
My first real exposure to the pollution of oceans and shorelines happened in the 1960s. Up to the point in time, naval and commercial ships simply dumped trash at sea, including wastewater from ship operations. In ports, it was highly concentrated like a cesspool.
In 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established, and things began to change. New ship designs required holding tanks for wastewater, allowing it to be pumped out in ports. Gradually, more attention was paid to oil spills with improved preventative measures. Ports and piers began to look and smell much better, and I sensed a consciousness both in the military and among civilians that we could not just continue with the status quo.
San Olson:
My father served in WW I and WW II, and in grade school, I lived on several naval bases during the war. So, it was only natural that the navy would be my service of choice. I enlisted in the reserves at 18 and was selected to attend Officer Candidate School during the summers between college years. After commissioning, I was assigned to an amphibious assault ship, home ported in San Diego. The ship was deployed in alternating six-month rotations on the US West Coast and the Western Pacific.
My duties included ship handling and command of the 22-landing craft necessary to our primary mission. In the course of my responsibilities, I became knowledgeable and familiar with the open ocean and many shorelines.
Ken Carrasco:
After graduating from high school, I wasn’t ready for college, so I enlisted in the Coast Guard and had a wonderful experience. I became a corpsman, which is like a medic, and I saw parts of the world few others have seen. I can point to one instance in the Arctic which initiated my lifetime of environmentalism!
Right after boot camp, I was assigned to a polar icebreaker. It was built for the Soviets during World War II, and we regularly transited the roughest waters on the planet (you got used to the routine of tying yourself into your bed). I served on this ship for over two years on three deployments—one north of Siberia and Alaska, and twice to Antarctica. Both the North and South polar seascapes are breathtakingly beautiful. I saw polar bears, walruses, penguins, and other mammals.
Q: How has your time on or near the water—both in the Navy and since—shaped the way you see the Salish Sea?
Ken Putney:
Those of us who have sailed around the world, whether in uniform or otherwise, know how fortunate we are that this place has been cared for by those who came before us. I’ve seen coastlines elsewhere so buried in waste and pollution that their beauty is nearly invisible. Knowing what’s happening in those places is a constant reminder of what could happen here – and a powerful motivation for prevention.
Joe Cohen:
I have always loved being in the water—as a Boy Scout, camp counselor, and every other opportunity; our home is on the water as we live around the Salish Sea. For the past ten years, I have enjoyed kayaking around the shorelines of Orcas Island in pristine waters, and I hope to continue this for future generations.
San Olson:
I no longer see shorelines as objectives that require a determination of how and when to land and support military forces. Rather, I see shorelines as transitional and unique ecosystems necessary for the health of our oceans and the biodiversity of our natural oceanic, shoreline, and terrestrial systems.
Ken Carrasco:
On my trip North, one of our tasks was to experiment with different methods of cleaning crude oil spilled on the ice. The Alyeska pipeline was in operation, but the industry was considering the use of ice-strengthened tankers to move the crude oil product through the Northwest Passage to supply the East Coast. However, all the usual techniques for containing crude oil failed, and burning it was the only feasible solution found. I watched this debacle from the ship, and it was shocking to see black clouds of burning oil violate the pristine whiteness of the ice scape. That’s the exact instant I became an environmentalist!
Q: What parallels, if any, do you see between the teamwork and leadership you experienced in the Navy and efforts to protect our local waters?
Ken Putney:
My favorite missions in the Navy were always the volunteer projects. Whenever there was a house to build, food to deliver, or a beach cleanup to organize, hands went up to help. It’s the same here. When something important needs doing, people in this community show up.
San Olson:
All hands and skills are required to meet operational mission requirements in the military. Likewise, Friends’ mission requires deep commitment by knowledgeable and dedicated people to meet the constantly shifting challenges of protecting our now fragile Salish Sea. Friends does superb work in confronting the increasing and complex challenges facing our local waters. As we say in the Navy, “Bravo Zulu” and “Charlie Mike”, which mean “Well Done” and “Continue the Mission”!
Ken Carrasco:
In the Coast Guard, I learned how to work with others toward something bigger than myself. I also met and learned to appreciate people from other cultures, whether my fellow shipmates or the Aleuts I befriended while working in Alaska. These learnings are also critical to the environmental movement.
Q: If you could share one message with the community about the importance of protecting the Salish Sea, what would it be?
Ken Putney:
In my first weeks at Friends, I sat in on a strategic planning meeting with our staff and board, where, for the first time, I heard a clear reminder that restoration is always harder than prevention. It’s healthier, easier, and far less costly in every sense of the word to prevent damage than to repair it later. That’s why our Friends tagline resonates so deeply with me: ‘Protect This Place.’
Joe Cohen:
We live with and in nature’s bounty. It is our obligation to preserve it so!
San Olson:
Extinction is forever, and orca need to eat. Protect what you love.
We are so grateful for the leadership, service, and perspective these veterans bring to Friends’ mission!
To honor their legacy and support our shared commitment to the Salish Sea, please consider volunteering or becoming a member of Friends today.
