The following is a compilation of significant dates in our commonwealth’s and Nation's military history. For more on the legacy of our Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen, visit the
Kentucky National Guard eMuseum.
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The Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813.
September, 1793 – Gen. “Mad” Anthony Wayne calls for mounted volunteers from Kentucky; but, having lost confidence in the regular troops in Harmar’s and St. Clair’s defeats, Kentuckians refuse to volunteer.
September 1, 1863 – John Boyle appointed
Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. Thomas E. Bramlette.
September 1, 1864 – Battle of Jonesboro, Ga. part of Atlanta Campaign. Kentucky Orphan Brigade attempts to hold strategic railroad position south of the city. However are not reinforced when attacked in force and are cut off from main Confederate position, suffer heavy casualties. The loss of rail line cuts off any hope of resupply for the Confederates in Atlanta and the city is evacuated. Union Army enters Atlanta the next day. (Civil War)
September 1, 1864 - Pvt. Henry Mattingly from Marion County, Ky., with Company B, 10th Kentucky Infantry displays fierce bravery in the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia and captures the regimental flag of the 6th and 7th Arkansas Infantry. Mattingly receives the Medal of Honor for his actions.
September 1, 1891 – First appointment of Andrew Jackson Gross as Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. John Y. Brown.
September 1, 2010 – Beginning of Operation New Dawn, end of U.S. Military’s combat role in Iraq.
September 2, 1914 – James Tandy Ellis appointed Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. Augustus O. Stanley. Ellis would be re-appointed as the Adjutant General by Gov. James B. Black.
September 2, 1945– VJ (Victory Japan) Day: Japan signed formal surrender. (World War II)
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Staff Sgt. Delmar White
September 2, 2007 – Staff Sgt. Delmar White, Lexington (Fayette County), was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on a convoy escort mission in Baghdad, Iraq. White, 37, was assigned to Battery B, 2
nd Battalion, 138
thField Artillery, based in Carlisle, Ky. White was a corrections officer with Lexington Fayette Urban County Government and deployed with his unit in August 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He joined the Kentucky Army National Guard in 1998. (Global War on Terror).
September 4, 1864 – Gen. John Hunt Morgan shot and killed by Union officers at Greenville, Tennessee. (Civil War)
September 4, 1875 – John Montgomery Wright is appointed Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. James B. McCreary.
September 5, 1871 – James Allen Dawson is appointed Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. Preston H. Leslie.
September 5, 1883 – John Breckinridge Castleman is appointed acting Adjutant General of Kentucky from 1883 – 1887, by Gov. J. Proctor Knott.
September 6, 1845 – Gov. Owsley is notified by the secretary of war, that Gen. Zachary Taylor is authorized to call upon Kentucky for troops to repel the apprehended Mexican invasion. Gov. Owsley replies that any requisition upon Kentucky will be promptly and gallantly responded to.
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Siege of Boonesborough
September 7, 1778 – Siege of Boonesborough by Captain de Quindre and a large force of Indians and Canadians. Siege ended Sept. 20. (American Revolutionary War)
September 7, 1944 – 2
nd Lt. Harry Ricker LaFon, Jr., and Pvt. Hugh J. Leonard, both serving with Company D, 192
nd Light Tank Battalion (Harrodsburg Tankers) died aboard the Japanese “Hell Ship” Shinyo Maru when it was sunk. (World War II)
September 8, 1898 – Wilbur Rush Smith is appointed Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. William O. Bradley.
September 8, 2009 - U.S. Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer from Columbia, Ky., at the Battle of Ganjgal, Afghanistan, made multiple trips through intense enemy fire in a gun truck to help rescue U.S. and Afghan personnel, then returned on foot to secure the bodies of his fallen team members. Meyer receives the Medal of Honor for his actions.
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Maj. Gen. James Franklin Bell
September 9, 1899 - Col. James Franklin Bell from Shelbyville, Ky., alone charged a bunker through enemy fire causing the surrender of several combatants at Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands during the Philippine Insurrection. He receives the Medal of Honor for his actions. Bell was a 1878 graduate of West Point and during the Spanish-American War, becomes the first Medal of Honor recipient to also receive the Distinguished Service Cross. He served as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army and attained the rank of major general prior to his death in 1919.
September 9, 1943 – Operation Avalanche (Allied landing at Salerno, Italy). (World War II)
September 10, 1813 – Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s victory at Put-In-Bay (Battle of Lake Erie). Approximately 150 Kentucky Militiamen served as Marines aboard Perry’s fleet. (War of 1812)
September 10, 1845– Gen. Peter Dudley, sent by Gov. Owsley to Clay County. Two companies of troops from Madison County, under command of Col. John Miller ordered out to maintain law and order, remain until after the execution of Dr. Baker.
September 10, 1962 – U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Incorporated.
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Pfc. Sammie Phillips
September 10, 2007 – Pfc. Sammie E. Phillips of Vine Grove (Hardin County), was killed when his vehicle overturned while conducting a traffic control mission on a highway near Rustamiyah, Iraq. Phillips, 19, was assigned to Battery B, 2
nd Battalion, 138
th Field Artillery, based in Carlisle, Ky. Phillips joined the Kentucky Army National Guard in 2006 and deployed with his unit in August 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a 2006 graduate of North Hardin High School. (Global War on Terrorism)
September 11 – Patriot Day: World Trade Center and Pentagon Terrorist Attacks
September 11, 1895 – Two cannon crews of Battery A, 1
st Regiment of the Kentucky State Guard, known as the Louisville Legion were dispatched from the downtown Louisville armory to Phoenix Hill Park to fire a 44-gun salute at sunrise to awaken the city as a part of the festivities for the 29
th Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Each cannon was to fire 22 times. When the second caisson, which was 15 minutes behind the first, reached 4
th and Broadway at 5:30 a.m. an explosion occurred. Forty-four bags of carefully packed black powder; each weighing 1.5 lbs., mysteriously ignited. The result was five men and two horses killed several people injured and property damage to buildings in the area. Those killed were Corp. Arthur Langan Robinson, Pvt. Charles Brechner (Biechner), Pvt. Charles C. Woods, Pvt. Archibald McBride, and a civilian, Mr. William Adams Sr. Mr. Adams had been hired by the officers of the Louisville Legion to drive the caisson to Phoenix Hill.
September 11, 1967 – Siege of Con Thien began. (Vietnam War)
September 12, 1859 – Scott Brown is appointed Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. Beriah Magoffin.
September 13, 1951 – Battle of Heartbreak Ridge (Korean War)
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F-86A Sabre
September 13, 1956 – The Kentucky Air National Guard receives its first F-86 Sabrejets at Standiford Field. The full complement of 25 Sabres was expected by October 15, with three T-33s and eight T-28 trainers.
September 14, 1781 – Long Run Massacre. As Indian activity increased the settlers at Boone’s Station sought protection at Linn’s Station. While enroute to that location they were attacked along the banks of Long Run Creek, about 60 people were killed.
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Francis Scott Key in Baltimore Harbor
September 14, 1814 – “Star Spangled Banner” written by Francis Scott Key (War of 1812)
September 14, 1966 – Operation Attleboro (Vietnam War)
September 14, 1971 – Capt. Roger M. Sanders died when his RF-101 “Voodoo” crashed shortly after takeoff. He was able to eject, but did not survive his injuries from the incident. Sanders was taking off simultaneously with another aircraft for a night refueling exercise. The other aircraft landed safely in Indiana.
September 14, 2002 – Marion National Guard Armory named in honor of 1
st Sgt. Carson G. Davidson.
September 15, 1950 – Inchon Landing (Korean War)
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2nd Lt. Vincent Simon
September 15, 1984 – 2
nd Lt. Vincent Simon, age 30, of Glasgow (Barren County), died at Fort Knox, Kentucky in the line of duty while on inactive duty for training (IDT). He was a member of Battery C, 1
st Battalion, 623
rd Field Artillery based in Monticello. He died from injuries he received when the military vehicle, a M-151 ¼ ton “Jeep” he was operating was involved in an accident. He was a graduate of Western Kentucky University and was a Civil Engineer in his civilian life with J. N. Gray Construction Company in Glasgow. He joined the US Army in 1972 after high school and rose to the rank of Specialist 5 before leaving the Army and joining the Kentucky Army National Guard in December 1975. He rose to the rank of Staff Sgt. He was a graduate of the Boone Raiders course in 1983 and the Kentucky Military Academy’s Officer Candidate School. He was commissioned a 2
nd Lt. on July 8,1984, just a few weeks before his death.
September 16, 1847 – Kentucky soldiers who fell at the Battle of Buena Vista, Mexico, from Shelby, Montgomery, and Franklin counties, interred with full military honors in the state cemetery.
September 16, 1950 – Naktong Perimeter Breakout began. (Korean War)
September 17, 1787 – Citizenship (Constitution) Day: U.S. Constitution approved.
September 17, 1862 – Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland (Civil War)
September 17, 1914 – Ladies Auxiliary VFW organized.
September 17, 1944 – Operation Market Garden (World War II)
September 18-20, 1863 – Battle of Chickamaugua, Georgia (Civil War)
September 18, 1947 – U.S. Air Force established.
September 18, 1950 – Inchon Operation and Liberation of Seoul began. (Korean War)
September 18, 1994 – Operation Uphold Democracy.
September 19 – POW/MIA Recognition Day.
September 19, 1817 – Oliver Garnett Waggoner/Waggener is appointed
Adjutant General of Kentucky by Gov. Gabriel Slaughter. He was re-appointed to the position under governors John Adair, and Joseph Desha.
September 19, 1971– Kentucky Air National Guard Chaplain Lt. Col. William Hisle died after a long illness. His work with Korean War orphans had been carried on despite his declining health and Lt. Col. Hisle was presented the first Legion of Merit received by a member of the Kentucky Air Guard.
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Staff Sgt. William Alvin Allers III
September 20, 2005– Staff Sgt. William Alvin Allers III, 28, of Leitchfield (Grayson County) Ky., was killed near Al Khalis, Iraq (40 miles north of Baghdad) when his armored humvee encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Allers was assigned to the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 617th Military Police Company, based in Richmond with a detachment in Bowling Green. The 617thMP Company mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in October of 2004 and deployed to Southwest Asia that November. Originally from Baltimore, Md., Allers joined the Kentucky Army National Guard in September of 2003 after serving with the U.S. Army and worked in Leitchfield for an office supply business. (Global War on Terror)
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Sgt. 1st Class Chales Jason Jones
September 20, 2006 – Sgt. 1
st Class Charles Jason Jones of Lawrenceburg (Anderson County), 29, died at Camp Liberty in Baghdad of non-combat related cause. Jones was assigned as a medic to the 149
th Brigade Combat Team Headquarters. The unit, comprised of 50 soldiers, deployed to Iraq earlier in 2006 and had teams stationed throughout Iraq. Jones joined the Kentucky National Guard in 1993 at age 17 and graduated from South Laurel High School in London, Ky. in 1994. Prior to deploying to Iraq, Jones was a full-time Kentucky National Guard soldier stationed in Frankfort, Ky. Jones was a seasoned veteran, with previous deployments in 2002 to Germany and Bosnia. He also deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. (Global War on Terror)
September 21, 1951 – Operation Summit (Korean War)
September 24, 1846 – Capture of Monterey, Mexico. The Louisville Legion, being posted to guard a mortar battery, and exposed to the enemy’s cannon fire for about 24 hours without being able to return their fire, hold in check the enemy’s cavalry, and “display obedience, patience, discipline, and calm courage.” Maj. Gen. Wm. O. Butler seriously wounded, and Maj. Philip Norbourne Barbour, of the 3
rd regular infantry, killed (both Kentuckians). (Mexican-American War)
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Sgt. Willie Sandlin
September 26, 1918 - Sgt. Willie Sandlin from Jackson, Ky., with Company A, 132rd Infantry, 33rd Division single-handedly destroyed three German machine gun emplacements and killed twenty-four of the enemy on at Bois de Forges, France. Sandlin receives the Medal of Honor for his actions. During World War I, only Sgt. Alvin York is more decorated than Sandlin.
September 28, 1793 – Gov. Shelby orders the first draft for Kentucky troops, which is successful in getting troops for Wayne’s expedition. (Early Indian Wars)
September 28 – Gold Star Mother’s Day
September 28, 1953 – Four Kentucky Air National Guardsmen were cited for their heroic efforts to rescue survivors in the wreckage of a chartered C-46 transport carrying soldiers from Camp Kilmer, NJ to Fort Knox. Recognized for their bravery were Jess D. Brown, Walter Carter, Howard A. Curtis and Charles W. Simmons, all were full-time air guard technicians.
September 29, 1899 – VFW established.
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Sgt. Darrin Potter
September 29, 2003 – Sgt. Darrin K. Potter, 24, of Louisville, Ky., was killed in Iraq when his military police team responded to reports of a mortar attack outside of Baghdad near Abu Ghraib Prison, in Iraq. Potter was a member of the 223
rd Military Police Company serving with the 800
th Military Police Brigade in Iraq. It was the Kentucky Guard’s first combat-related death since the Vietnam War. (Global War on Terrorism)
September 30, 1848 – Col. Edward Brooks reaches Frankfort with the bones of the brave Kentuckians who were massacred by the Indians at the River Raisin, Jan. 18, 1812, which are interred in the state cemetery. They had been found in a common grave, and discovered, while digging down a street in Monroe, Mich. The skulls were all cloven with the tomahawk, and an aged French citizen, a survivor of the massacre, knew them as the bones of the unfortunate Kentuckians, because he remembered the spot where they were buried.