Jackson County DAV Chapter 165 Serves Our Military Community by Augmenting Service of Senator Johnnie L. Turner

 On 2 November 2024, Jackson County's Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 165, at the personal request of Kentucky State Senate President Robert Stivers, traveled to Harlan County to augment the Kentucky National Guard's Honor Guard in providing full military honors for the family of recently deceased US Army veteran and Kentucky State Senator Johnnie L. Turner, Sr. The members of Ch. 165 were honored President Stivers specifically called upon Jackson County's veterans service organization to help honor his colleague and friend. 
 In the 1970s when a young Jackson County widow requested a military funeral for her Army veteran husband and was denied; (Prior to the year 2000, only those killed on active duty, retired, or a field grade officer rated a military funeral.) WWII veteran Earl Fee and a handful of fellow Jackson County veterans organized to grant the widow's request for a military service. DAV Ch. 165 was chartered soon after with Fee serving as the chapter's commander until the late-2000s. 
 Today, Ch. 165 provides on average 30 military funerals annually for the families of those who honorably served this nation from Jackson County, and on a by-request-basis throughout Eastern and East-Central Kentucky. The fact a county of only 13,000 residents has an unbroken service record of some fifty years providing full military honors funerals for the families of deceased veterans is a testament to Jackson Countians strong love of country. 
 However, as with the military service, recruitment to sustain any such organization is never ending. If you are reading this and have honorably served our nation; I ask that you consider joining Jackson County's DAV Ch. 165 so the organization may continue serving veterans' families for another half-century. 
 If you are interested in learning more about doing your part to preserve this Jackson County tradition, we will be having a Christmas dinner on 14 December 2024 for food, fellowship, and answering any questions you may have about joining our organization. Please RSVP by 11 December 2024 at (606) 493-5353 for full details.