Tradition of military service strong in The Cov, its government
COVINGTON, Ky. – The tradition of military service in Kentucky predates the state itself.
Even before the Bluegrass territory was ratified in 1792 as the 15th state in the fledgling union, the men and women who lived within its borders contributed energy, sweat, fear, and blood in support of our nation’s security and values.
Isaac Shelby – Kentucky’s very first governor and the namesake of Covington’s easternmost street – was a military hero both before and after he took office, having been among the “Overmountain Men” who taught British Major Patrick Ferguson a costly and fatal Revolutionary War lesson at Kings Mountain in 1780.
A few years later, well over half of all Americans killed in the War of 1812 were from Kentucky.
It’s no surprise then, that the tradition of military service has remained strong over the centuries in the Bluegrass State and, locally, here in The Cov.
Around Covington are a number of memorial sites, statues, and plaques honoring that commitment and the military veterans of all branches who served this country in times of peace and war.
Whether it was taking a beach under mortar and machine-gun fire … enduring the never-ending horrors of a frigid mountainside or a humid jungle … walking a minefield … landing on a bobbing deck in a turbulent sea … living in a rat-infested trench … fighting panic in claustrophobic quarters as a submarine submerged and slid into the depths … or just enduring the mind- and body-numbing stress of endless training and physical tests, Covington’s sons and daughters have throughout history demonstrated courage galore.
Friday is Veterans Day.
City Hall will be closed, so today we take a moment to honor all our veterans in Covington and especially – by name – those working here at the City (see also the photos at the bottom):
- Matt Archer – Navy
- Aaron Bolyard – Army
- Nick Boots – Navy
- Joe Bowman – Army
- Ben Erdman – Marine Corps
- Terry Galliher – Army
- Chris Greer – Army
- Sara McPherson Jenkins – Air Force
- Brandon Kersting – Air Force
- Jonathan Krull – Army
- Kaleb Miller – Navy
- Mark Ober – Army
- Jordan Warner – Marine Corps
- Ben Wasson – Army
- Cornell White – Marine Corps
- Zack Williams – Air Force
- Stan Wylie – Army
- Charlie Beil – Navy
- Joshua Bornhorn – Army
- Nicollette Brown – Marine Corps
- Robert Christen – Army
- Jeff Cook – Marine Corps
- Daniel Elsbernd – Marine Corps
- David Finan – Navy
- Michael Gilliland – Army
- William Gonzalez – Army
- David Griswold – Marine Corps
- Christopher Haubner – Army
- Phouthakone Homphothichak – Army
- Kenzy Hotaling – Army
- David Hoyle – Marine Corps
- Kevin Igo – Army
- Ryan Jones – Army
- Marcus Jordan – Army
- Joshua Knott – Army
- Eric Lomax – Marine Corps
- Cody Monson – Army
- Bradley Morris – Air Force
- John Murphy – Marine Corps
- Jacob Noe – Army
- Brian Powers – Army
- Joseph Richer – Air Force
- Robert Rose – Army/Marine Corps
- Jackson Sora – Army
- Zachary Stayton – Army
- Johnathon Stribling – Air Force
- Jeffrey Tolliver -- Army
- Kyle Warner – Army
- Steven Willis – Army
- Corey Zelensky – Marine Corps
- Scott Hahn – Marine Corps
- Rick Smith – Army
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