Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane | Whitney Trowell, sister of U.S. Air Force Maj. Latonia Trowell, makes an etching of...... read more read more
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Twenty-two new names were added to the Kentucky National Guard Memorial during a Memorial Day ceremony held at Boone National Guard Center, May 26, 2025.
More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including state and local government leaders, Soldiers, Airmen, and Gold Star family members. Retired U.S. Army Chaplain, Brig. Gen. David Graetz, read aloud the name, age, hometown, and unit of each fallen Guard member being added to the monument in remembrance of their service.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear spoke at the event and expressed his gratitude to those who gave their lives in service to the country.
“This is a calm, beautiful place to honor those who have faced danger and conflict,” Beshear said. “Each of them took an oath to protect us—a debt we could never repay. It’s our duty to lift up these names not just today, but every day.”
According to the Kentucky National Guard Memorial Fund website, of the 22 names added:
Fourteen were Soldiers who died during World War I.
One died in 1945 during World War II.
One died in 1952 during the Korean War.
Six died while serving on active duty during the post-9/11 era.
One of those honored was U.S. Army Maj. Latonia Rene Trowell, who served with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing. She died in 2016 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from a service-connected illness.
Her father, Charles Trowell, attended the ceremony and shared what the recognition meant to him.
“It means a lot to me to be able to come up here and see her name,” he said. “She did a lot for her country.”
Trowell’s sister and nieces were also in attendance. They reflected on her love of service and her unwavering values.
“She always put God first, family second, and her country third,” said her niece, Kennedi Trowell. “Growing up and seeing her live out what we were all so proud of, her career, what she chose, I'm very honored and proud to see her name today.”
Retired Lt. Col. Dick Stoops served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army, and also gave remarks during the ceremony. He reflected on his time as a commander and later as a casualty assistance officer.
“It’s been over 55 years, and I can still hear that poor mother’s screams,” Stoops said, describing the emotional toll of notifying families of fallen service members.
There are now 317 names etched into the Kentucky National Guard Memorial wall. For more information on those memorialized, visit www.kyngmemorial.org.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2025 15:05 |
| Story ID: | 499090 |
| Location: | KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Twenty-two names added to Kentucky National Guard Memorial, by SFC Benjamin Crane, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
