City adding HOF veterans monument
Aug. 20—The names of veterans who have gone above and beyond for their communities will be added to a new monument that will be unveiled downtown in November.
Through a project spearheaded by the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame, a nearly 8-foot-tall black granite monument will be installed near the Owensboro Convention Center, with a ceremony planned for Veterans Day weekend, which is Nov. 11-13.
Funds for the Region 7 monument came from local veterans groups — AMVETs Post 75, AMVETs Post 119 and VFW Post 696 — and businesses including Modern Welding, Independence Bank, Glenn Funeral Home, Rhoads & Rhoads Law Firm, Pipeline Partners and Alexander CPAs.
Adrian Bambini, representative for the Kentucky Veterans HOF, said Rolf Monuments, based out of Newport, is designing the monument at a price of $10,000.
"I'm sure that's a wholesale cost because the guy who owns Rolf is a veteran, and for us, he cut a deal," said Bambini, a 2021 veterans HOF inductee.
The Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame Foundation, headquartered in Florence, is leading fundraising efforts around the state to erect the monuments.
Daviess County will be host community for Region 7, consisting of 11 counties in the Green River area. Names from the 11 counties will be added through an annual application process.
"I think over the next five or 10 years probably most major cities in the state will have one of these monuments specifically honoring those veterans from that geographical area who have gone above and beyond," Bambini said.
Three veterans — Keith Cain and Mike Robinson, both of Daviess County, and Harold Leasure of Hopkins County — from Region 7 will be inducted as part of the 29-member Class of 2022 during ceremonies Aug. 26-27 in Lexington.
A specific date and time for the monument's unveiling during Veterans Day weekend has not been set.
A luncheon is planned Oct. 3 at the Owensboro Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum to provide more details about the ceremony.
Bambini said applications are being taken for future inductees whose names will be added to the HOF monument over time.
"Of the 29 who were selected (this year), only two were less than 50 years old," Bambini said. "...We're always looking for those who are doing good and have others' interests before their own."
Don Wilkins, dwilkins@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7299
