By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune reporter
Ceremonies to honor Kentuckians who died while serving in the armed forces will take place all around the state during the Memorial Day weekend. Marching bands will play patriotic tunes, small flags will be placed at gravesites and rifle corps will fire 21-gun salutes as gestures of appreciation.
H.B. Deatherage, 71, of Villa Hills found a way to salute the men and women who continued serving their country after they were discharged from the military by creating the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame.
In the last two years, 52 veterans who were born or lived in Kentucky have been inducted into the hall of fame to recognize their community service. A third group of 20 inductees will be added this September after a committee goes through a thick binder full of nomination forms.
“There are stories in there that just melt your heart,” Deatherage said of the binder. “Some of these people just never quit (serving their country). They just keep going and going. And we have over 50 of them (nominated) this year, so how do you narrow them all down to just 20.”
Any current or former Kentucky resident who served in the military and received an honorable discharge can be nominated for the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame. The selections are based mostly on what they did to benefit their community, state or nation after returning to civilian life.
A nomination form and other criteria are available on the www.kyveterans.org website along with names of all the previous inductees.
One hall of fame member started a philanthropic organization that donates money to worthy causes in his hometown. Another one was inducted because he volunteers to play “Taps” on his bugle during burial services for deceased veterans. Last year, Jenean Hampton was one of two women added to the hall of fame. She is now the state’s lieutenant governor.
“We’re after the veterans who continued to serve and contribute to the community,” Deatherage said. “We’ve had four-star generals nominated and we’ve had privates, but we really don’t care about their military rank. It’s about what they did after they left the service.”
Deatherage, a Vietnam War veteran, was among the first group selected for induction in 2014. As a business owner, he provides financial support for schools. He also led the drive to build the Boone County Veterans Memorial monument near the city administration building in Florence.
But Deatherage had to be rushed to the hospital while he was making the final preparations for the first induction ceremony and he ended up spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.
As soon as he recovered, however, he went back to work planning and promoting the next hall of fame induction ceremony. He’s determined to keep the non-profit organization going no matter what it takes.
“H.B. has stuck with the plan,” said Gary Griesser, a member of the board of directors for the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame. “He has driven thousands of miles across the state, even when he’s not healthy and shouldn’t be traveling. He’s spent thousands of dollars of his own money to make it solvent.”
All the time Deatherage has spent promoting the hall of fame is beginning to garner results. He said Governor Matt Bevin invited him to a meeting in Frankfort to learn more about the organization. He also lined up BB&T Bank as a corporate sponsor for this year’s induction reception and dinner on Sept. 16-17 at the Frankfort Convention Center.
Deatherage said attending last year’s induction ceremony was an experience that made all his hard work worthwhile. After an account of each inductee’s military and community service was read, they stepped up to the podium and a medal was placed around their neck.
“It’s just so rewarding,” Deatherage said. “You have to be there to really see what it’s like. I‘ve never seen so many grown men cry. They’re all so very, very appreciative.”
Finding more financial support is crucial to the future of the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame. Deatherage has had limited success getting businesses around the state to become sponsors.
“We deal with 350,000 veterans plus their families throughout the state of Kentucky so why wouldn’t someone want to have their name attached to this,” he said. “It’s a great reward. I just wish I could get more people on board with us.”
Donations to the Kentucky Veterans Hall of fame can be made on the www.kyveterans.org website.