Johnson County WWII veterans honored with Memorial at Paintsville Lake State Park

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, Jacqueline Coleman, Rocky Adkins, senior advisor, Office of the Governor, Mark McKenzie, Johnson County Judge/Executive, Russ Myers, Commissioner with Kentucky State Parks and Bettina Rice, project manager, joined the families and friends of Johnson countians who served on the USS Hornet during World War II on Monday, July 15, at the Paintsville Lake State Park, Staffordsville, to dedicate a granite memorial marker in the shape of the ships control center with 17 names engraved, Glen Ford Bland, SIC; George Blanton, Jr.. S2C; Kenneth Borders, SIC; Walter Childers, AMM3C; Richard E. Pete Colvin, FIC; Harold Leslie Davis, Sr., SIC; Worth Goble, SIC; Francis Marion Lemaster, SIC; Charles Ray May, SIC; John Walter McCarty, Sr., SIC; Russell Pack, SIC; Willie Escom Preston, Y3C; Mose Willis Price, SIC; Earnest Robinson, SIC; James Robert Stafford, SMB3C; Harlie Sturgill, SIC; and Garth Dalmon Trimble, SIC.

The USS Hornet CV12 “The Gray Ghost—1943-1946” was an aircraft carrier that was critical in helping the United States win World War II. Seventeen Johnson County residents served aboard the ship in the Pacific theatre and returned home to become integral members of the community.

These men gathered at the park near the flags and boat ramp for their yearly reunion, which is the reason for its chosen location.

“The laser etched image was provided by the USS Hornet CV-12 with permission to use it for this purpose. Rock of Ages top of the line granite was used in its construction which took 6-months. The memorial was 100% funded through the KY Veterans Trust Fund and was approved unanimously by the board. The complete project was two years in the making,” said Bettina Rice.

The USS Hornet CV-12 was awarded nine Presidential citations for its valor in service over the pacific in WWII. It completed 155,000 miles and it docked today in Alameda California USS Hornet - Sea, Air and Space Museum.

Worth Goble, at the age of 99 and sole surviving member of the crew along with his daughters were there to help unveil it. He said, “I have been waiting on the memorial for a long time, I enjoyed every bit of it.” Goble was a radar operator on the ship and said he would get back on the ship again, “All I did on that ship, I could no right now if I could climb up the ladder to get in there,” he said. Several other family members of the crew spoke at the event also.

The memorial was made possible by the Kentucky Veterans Trust Fund, USS Hornet CV-12 Museum and Lexington Granite Company and Bettina Rice.