The Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2024 inductees today. The class includes 26 veterans, as well as nine honorary inductees, from around Kentucky. This is the 10th inductee class for the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame.
“I am so proud Lexington serves as the host city for the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “The Hall of Fame is an important organization, and serving as host city is just one piece of Lexington’s commitment to honoring and supporting veterans and their families. I have lived the majority of my life directly tied to the military, both as a military spouse and as mother to two children in military families. This is important to me, and I know our community wants to do all it can to support our veterans.”
The Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame was created in 2010 by Vietnam War Veteran, Founder and Executive Director H.B. Deatherage. The organization is committed to recognition of veterans’ military service, and honoring their continued service to the community following their military careers. Since 2014, 241 Kentucky veterans having been inducted into the hall of fame.
“Every year it is exciting putting together the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame inductee class and seeing the expressions on their faces as they go through the two-day event in September,” Deatherage said. “It is very rewarding and fulfilling as a Vietnam War Veteran.”
This year’s veteran inductee class includes 26 individuals from across the state. Of those, one is from Fayette County: Chief Warrant Officer Three Harris Millerd, Jr. Including this year, a total of 24 Fayette County residents are members of the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame. A monument in Veteran’s Park has the names of each veteran inductee etched into one side.
The 26 members of this year’s veteran inductee class include:
- *Thomas Armstrong, Sergeant, U.S. Army, Jefferson County
- *Fred Banta, Specialist Five, U.S. Army, Kenton County
- *Ray Biggerstaff, First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Letcher County
- Carl Bihl, Electrician’s Mate Third Class, U.S. Navy, Campbell County
- Robert Bryant, Specialist Five, U.S. Army, Adair County
- William Buckman, Specialist Five, U.S. Army, Union County
- James Deneen, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Hardin County
- *Orestus Flowers, Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Cumberland County
- William Gatherwright, Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, Mason County
- Terry Hatton, Sergeant, U.S. Army, Campbell County
- Harold Hendricks, Airman Third Class, U.S. Air Force, Boyle County
- Gary Holbrook, Major, U.S. Army, Kenton County
- Carl Kaelin, Specialist Five, U.S. Army, Grayson County
- *John Kloeker, Corporal, U.S. Army, Kenton County
- Martha Lain, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Jefferson County
- Randy Marsh, Private, U.S. Army Reserves, Kenton County
- *Charles Metcalf, Sergeant, U.S. Army, Madison County
- Harris Millerd, Jr., Chief Warrant Officer Three, U.S. Army & U.S. Air Force, Fayette County
- Ronald Molgaard, First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Hardin County
- Tommy Mullins, Specialist Four, U.S. Army, Daviess County
- Dennis Newberry II, Private First Class, U.S. Army, Daviess County
- Matt Ralph, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Daviess County
- Raymond Rice, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Hardin County
- Bob Rogow, Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy, Madison County
- *Bobby Thornberry, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, Anderson County
- Jack Wagner, Specialist Four, U.S. Army, Campbell County
(*Posthumous)
The 9 members of this year’s honorary inductee class include:
- Linda Bambini, Daviess County
- Craig Cammack, Fayette County
- Jane Casher, Hardin County
- Heather French Henry, Jefferson County
- Sharon Martin, Lincoln County
- Kathy Mattingly, Mercer County
- Josh Quinn, Boone County
- Kelly Shehan, Fayette County
- Judge Lindsay Hughes Thurston, Fayette County
The 2024 Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremonies will be held at 6 p.m., September 6, and 10 a.m., September 7, at the Embassy Suites, 1801 Newtown Pike. Tickets are required for the September 6 dinner. A limited number of tickets are available by visiting www.kyveterans.org.
