Our Veterans, Their Stories is an oral history project by the Laurel County Public Library. The goal of the project is to collect and preserve stories from local veterans for current and future generations.

Our hope is to share the human impact by focusing on the individuals, rather than the specific battles or wars they were involved in. We want you to see their faces, hear their stories, and gain knowledge from their experiences.

Transcriptions of the full interviews can be found on our Online Digital Archive along with photographs and other documents provided to us by our veterans.

Watch the interviews.

Every veteran’s story deserves to be heard. Full transcriptions of the full interviews can be found on our OnlineDigital Archive.

Thomas Davenport

Sergeant E5
United States Army

Born in Salisbury, Maryland, Sergeant Davenport’s career in the military took him all around the country and to Korea before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

Kenneth C. Delph

Sergeant First Class E7
United States Army

Born in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Sergeant Delph’s career in the military took him all around the country and to Europe and Vietnam before returning home to London, Kentucky.

Travis Dotson

E4 Corporal Marine / Specialist National Guard
United States Marines / Army National Guard

Born in Corbin, Kentucky, Corporal/Spec. Dotson’s career in the military took him all around the country and to Europe before coming back to hometown of London, Kentucky.

G. C. Garland

Airman First Class
United States Air Force

Born in Clay County, Kentucky, Airman Garland’s career in the military took him all around the country before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

Henry Dewayne Rudder

Lance Corporal E3
United States Marines

Born in Corbin, Kentucky, Lance Corporal Rudder’s career in the military took him all around the country and to Cuba before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

Jeramie Stack

E4 Specialist
United States Army

Born in Orlando, Florida, Specialist Stack’s career in the military took her all around the country and to Korea before finding her home in London, Kentucky.

See the film.

In this film, the veterans’ stories are intertwined as experiences are revealed, photos are shown, and history is communicated through the voices of those who served.

Our Fallen Soldiers

Our Veterans, Their Stories: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes is another chapter in our continuing history project that will give a voice to those who are no longer with us. This video is a presentation of the entries featured in an exhibit that we hosted in 2019.

Earnest Dale Allen

Specialist 4th Class
United States Army

Born here in London, Kentucky, Specialist Allen’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before coming back to his hometown of London.

Bobby Anders

Specialist 5th Class
United States Army

Born here in London, Kentucky, Specialist Anders’ career in the military took him all around the country and to Europe before coming back to his hometown of London.

William Homer Bowling

Specialist 3rd Class
United States Army

Born here in London, Kentucky, Specialist Bowling’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the Korea before coming back to his hometown of London.

Robert Ray Ellis

Specialist 5th Class
United States Army

Born in Hurricane, West Virginia, Specialist Ellis’ career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

Marion Burton Parkey

Technician 4th Grade
United States Army

Born in Corbin, Kentucky, Technician Parkey’s career in the military took him all around the country and to Europe before coming back to his hometown of Corbin.

Kenneth Earl Sergent

Sergeant
United States Army

Born in Wallins Creek, Kentucky, Sergeant Sergent’s career in the military took him all around the country and to Europe before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

Charles Robert Stokes

Master Sergeant
United States Air Force

Born here in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Master Sergeant Stokes’ career in the military took him all around the world before coming back to his hometown of East Bernstadt.

William A. Stokes

Sergeant 1st Class
United States Army

Born here in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Sergeant Stokes’ career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

See the film.

In this film, the veterans’ stories are intertwined as experiences are revealed, photos are shown, and history is communicated through the voices of those who served.

Flint Robert Fivecoait

Sergeant
United States Army

Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Sergeant Fivecoait’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the Middle East before finding his home in Corbin, Kentucky.

James Holdiness

Petty Officer 2nd Class – Navy SEAL
United States Navy

Born in Louisville, Mississippi, Petty Officer Holdiness’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before finding his home here in London, Kentucky.

Merle A. Barrett

Specialist
United States Army

Born here in London, Kentucky, Specialist Barrett’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before coming back to his hometown of London.

Larry Henry Taylor

Sergeant
United States Army

Born here in London, Kentucky, Sergeant Taylor’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before coming back to his hometown of London.

Robert George Scholten

Specialist
United States Army

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Specialist Scholten’s career in the military took him all around the country and to the South Pacific before finding his home in London, Kentucky.

See the 2017 film.

In this film, the veterans’ stories are intertwined as experiences are revealed, photos are shown, and history is communicated through the voices of those who served.

Recommended Books

Recommended by our veterans, these books will serve as great sources that will expand on similar experiences in war and life in the military.

As you’ve learned from Robert George Scholten’s interview, Robert has had to endure many hardships in his life, one of which was learning to overcome dyslexia. Robert has written a series of books that focus on coping with PTSD, as well as his time in Vietnam. Below are his titles that are included in our library collection.

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