The Region 7 Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame monument was “rededicated” Friday morning, honoring an additional 12 inductees whose names have been added since the monument was first installed last year. Inductees are selected not based on service, but for their contributions to the community upon returning home.
The 8-foot-tall monument specifically honors KY Veterans Hall of Fame members in an 11-county area, with Daviess County fairly centrally located in the region. Region 7 also consists of Breckinridge, Hancock, Ohio, McLean, Union, Crittenden, Webster, Hopkins, Caldwell, and Henderson counties.
Messages on both sides of the monument drive home the point that individuals are recognized for their service both while active and after returning to their communities.
“There are only about a dozen states that have a Veterans Hall of Fame,” said Adrian Bambini is the regional representative for the KY Veterans Hall of Fame Foundation. “Selection into the KY Hall of Fame is based on service after the veteran has left active duty. That service can take many forms, such as volunteerism, leadership in corporate America, community leadership, advocacy, and philanthropy.”
Kentucky’s Hall of Fame program was established in 2010, and Bambini said only about a dozen states have a formal program like Kentucky does. The selection committee reviews applications annually, with only a handful chosen per year statewide. Posthumous nominations are also accepted.
“Selection into the Veterans Hall of Fame may be the highest honor that these veterans can receive, because it takes into account an entire lifetime of support to fellow man,” Bambini said. “It’s a big deal.”
The Region 7 monument was initially unveiled and dedicated in February 2023. At that time, the monument contained the names of 17 veterans from Region 7 who had been inducted into the KY Veterans Hall of Fame.
Since then, an additional 12 names have been added to the monument. The 12 veterans who have most recently had their names inscribed on the monument — along with the branch they served in, their home county, and the year they were inducted into the KY Veterans Hall of Fame — are:
- Eddie M. Adcock, USAF, Hopkins County, 2015
- Jeremy S. Camron, Navy, Daviess County, 2023
- Jerry P. Rhoads, Army, Daviess County, 2023
- Glenn W. Skeens, USMC, Daviess County, 2023
- Barry D. Smith, Army, Breckinridge County, 2023
- James E. Goodall, Army, Daviess County, 2023
- Louis F. Drawdy, USMC, Daviess County, 2023
- Michael A. Walker, USAF, Daviess County, 2023
- William L. Buckman, Army, Union County, 2024
- Thomas S. Mullins, Army, Daviess County, 2024
- Dennis L. Newberry II, Army, Daviess County, 2024
- Matt V. Ralph, USMC, Daviess County, 2024
The monument is located steps away from the northeast corner of the Owensboro Convention Center. The front side of the monument faces the Ohio River and contains general information about the Veterans Hall of Fame. The back side of the monument contains information about Region 7 and lists its inductees.
On either side of the monument are two silver-colored benches. A granite marker is also to the side of the monument honoring the more than 20 individuals, organizations, and businesses that helped fund the project.
Other participants in the rededication ceremony were Daviess County High School U.S. Navy JROTC; KY Veterans Hall of Fame members Mike Robinson (pledge of allegiance), Tommy Mullins (prayer), and Eric Shrader (unveiling); and Gold Star Mother Cathy Mullins (National Anthem).
