FRANKFORT, Ky. –
A section of U.S. Highway 127 in Frankfort has been renamed to honor fallen Kentucky Soldiers and Airmen. A sign bearing the new designation was unveiled during a ceremony at Boone National Guard Center, June 24, 2025.
The roughly one-mile stretch, from Louisville Road to Devil’s Hollow Road, also known as the West Frankfort Connector, has been designated the Kentucky National Guard Memorial Highway.
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dean Stoops served as master of ceremonies, and spoke about the importance of the day and significance of the Kentucky National Guard.
“Today is a significant moment in the proud legacy of the Kentucky National Guard,” said Stoops. “On this day, 233 years ago, Governor Isaac Shelby officially established the Kentucky militia, laying the foundation for what would become the modern Kentucky National Guard. As we commemorate this 233rd anniversary, we also gather to dedicate the Kentucky National Guard Memorial Highway in honor of the brave men and women who have given their lives in the line of duty.”
Special guest speaker for the ceremony, Senator Gex Williams, serving Kentucky’s 20th district, said that the commonwealth played an integral role in the early days of the United States from the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812.
“I think we lost more Kentuckians in New Orleans than any other state, but we won that war with the Kentucky National Guard,” said Williams. “Sometimes we don't realize how important Kentucky is and was for the world and the United States.”
Williams added that the Kentucky National Guard’s role is just as important today.
“Your mission is just as essential to the protection of this country as it was back then, and I'm looking for the same great things in the future out of the Kentucky National Guard that we've seen in the past that secured the United States and our current boundaries.”
Maj. Gen. Haldane Lamberton, Kentucky’s adjutant general, thanked those who attended and reminded them of the importance of the memorial and what it represents.
“I'm grateful for everyone’s attendance today for the renaming of the Kentucky National Guard Memorial Highway,” said Lamberton. “The monument behind me is where we have memorialized the Soldiers and Airmen that we've lost as they've made an ultimate sacrifice while serving as members of the Kentucky Guard, whether overseas or stateside.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also declared the day as Kentucky National Guard Day.
The designation as the Kentucky National Guard Memorial Highway came after a joint resolution by the Kentucky General Assembly, April 1, 2025. Plans are to install the signs in the near future.