FRANKFORT, Ky. –
In 1962, Maj. Gen. Arthur Lloyd, Kentucky’s Adjutant General, announced Frankfort’s National Guard Center be named after Col. Daniel Boone of the Kentucky Militia. Boone was a defender of Kentucky’s frontier, serving in Virginia’s Kentucky County Militia in 1777. Boone was not only one of the earliest explorers of Kentucky and guided settlers into the area, he founded Fort Boonesborough, protected it during the siege in 1777, and fought the Shawnee again at the Battle of Blue Licks; which was the last battle of the Revolutionary War. This early militia eventually evolved into today’s Kentucky National Guard.
Daniel Boone is the embodiment of the Kentucky Guardsman and our Guard’s history is peppered with his memory. From the Boone National Guard Center to the old Boone Raider Course of the Kentucky Military Academy to his statue at our Kentucky National Guard Memorial honoring our fallen, we recognize his influence as a warrior and a pioneer. With 20 years of service in the Guard, I can tell you our organization has never been stronger or more resilient. From Pikeville to Paducah, the Kentucky Guard is filled with Soldiers and Airmen who are proud to serve and who want to better themselves, their units, and their communities.
To further this endeavor, our leadership has put a renewed focus on our combat readiness, our physical fitness and, ultimately, our ability to take the fight to the enemy and win – both at home and abroad. Our 34th President, General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.” This remains true about those who wish us harm and we owe it to ourselves and to our Soldiers and Airmen to our left and right to prepare ourselves for tonight’s fight as well as the next. Our roots are firmly entrenched in Daniel Boone’s legacy and it’s his tough, determined spirit that continues to define us and our battle cry to ‘Fight as Kentuckians.’