The local father-son duo of D. Allen and Brad Youngman were honored for their military service during a ceremony Tuesday at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort.
Major General (Retired) D. Allen Youngman and Captain (Retired) Bradley Youngman were recognized by the Kentucky House of Representatives Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection (VMAPP) Committee.
During the ceremony, committee member Rep. DJ Johnson — himself a U.S. Army veteran — cited the Youngmans’ family history of service, reading aloud their military bios and descriptions of their military careers and accomplishments. The Youngmans were also presented with proclamations and VMAPP challenge coins.
MG Youngman, for whom the Owensboro National Guard Readiness Center is named, served 34 years in the Army and served two tours in Vietnam. He retired from military service after serving as Kentucky’s Adjutant General.
“In addition to the great personal honor, the occasion harkened back to the days after 9/11 when we were just so united against a common threat and a truly bipartisan Kentucky legislature was at the forefront in finding ways to meet the needs of our men and women in uniform,” MG Youngman said during the ceremony. “It was reassuring to see that spirit is still there in Frankfort today.”
Capt. Youngman, who is the current Daviess County Sheriff, retired from military service after serving 21 years and deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan during his career.
“I was very honored to be recognized. The United States military is an amazing institution to have been a part of and I respect every veteran, military spouse, and child for their service and sacrifice,” Capt. Youngman said. “They are all deserving of recognition and so much more. I am also grateful to Representative Johnson and the VMAPP Committee for their work on behalf of Veterans and Law Enforcement.”
Johnson said that at each VMAPP committee meeting in Frankfort, they honor active duty members or veterans who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers.
Johnson said it was a privilege to recognize MG Youngman and Capt. Youngman as third- and fourth-generation decorated combat veterans.
“While it’s always a pleasure to recognize our veterans, this time it was more fun than usual. While we were officially recognizing MG Youngman, we secretly planned to recognize Sheriff Youngman at the same time,” Johnson said. “Getting to honor two generations of veterans from the same Owensboro family made Tuesday’s ceremony even more special, particularly as we saw the look on Brad’s face when he was called up to the presentation table to be honored alongside his father.”
