♪ >> And suicide among veterans is a national epidemic and we must work hard to both understand and a comeback.

>> Kentucky's efforts to save the lives of veterans.

>> Women veterans continue to be the fastest growing segment.

Homeless population.

We'll visit the home giving women veterans the help they need.

And there's always been a little bit of the tension between Hopkinsville and parts will and the basin where loyalties lie.

>> How Fort Campbell's place on the map has created a friendly competition and deep sense of community between 2 cities.

>> It is nice to win a spot on the 11 o hey, you're getting a bite to go ahead and set the hook.

But they'll still be able to reel in the fish.

>> Plus, disabled veterans get the chance to real in a big one.

>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Veterans Day.

Our gratitude to all those who served.

>> I'm Renee Shaw and we appreciate you checking in with us tonight.

For more than a decade, our country has been losing an alarming number of veterans to suicide, according to the National Institute of Health on Average, 22 veterans die by suicide each day in the U.S. and Kentucky around 110 veterans take their lives each year.

It's a loss.

The mother of a Marine who died by suicide says she never wants others to experience.

Earlier this year she was in Frankfort showing her support for a bill establishing a suicide prevention program for Veterans Service members and their families.

>> I lost my son, Matthew Winkler, the it was in the Marine Corps.

It was a corporal.

And then 26 say he took his life today.

I present the governor with a little plastic green soldier.

I do that when they come with become likely and says to him today, officials and I asked them to please put that on their desk and to remember, not only my son, but on the veterans, especially with House Bill 30 on being there and the governor placed the soldier on the podium today and then says to me after he signed a proclamation.

So today has been a little overwhelming.

But again, it's been very a good because I've been able to stress that our veterans and our families as well.

We need more support.

You know, suicide affects a lot of us.

We know that more than 50% of Kentuckians have been affected by suicide of someone they love are now at our veterans really deserve the best that they can get it right.

And I honestly they're not getting not.

There's a lot of things the VA is doing and there's a lot of great programs, but we can always use more.

>> And House Bill on 30 is really a great program for additional U.S. resources.

>> Kentucky lawmakers did pass House Bill 30 earlier this year, establishing a suicide prevention program for Veterans Service members and their families within the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.

3 Pulaski County veterans have a place to call home.

Thanks to the efforts of the Habitat for humanity's Veterans Build initiative.

It's a homeownership program with the goal of supporting veterans living on fixed incomes and preventing homelessness.

>> There's a lot of conversations that happened about homelessness in the veterans community.

>> But not a lot of talk about how that happens.

And to the war.

Destroyers.

>> Are actually affordability and suitability.

And that's what this program is designed to adhere to address.

Gear village is our first Veterans Build initiative project.

It is 3 veterans build colleges or one bedroom, one bathroom designed for single or married couples are veterans so many veterans every day because of the pressures of life that they can't cope with.

You know.

>> And they're not even aware of the help that is available for them.

This this program offers.

>> Help in every avenue that they can think of to help veterans, you know, transition and mental health and mental support is available for them in financial help in every avenue, full support in this this program right here, the Habitat for Humanity in in being selected for a home.

You're not just setting it and good luck.

It's up to you.

There's a whole safety net underneath me this time.

It's a chance it's a chance to get a roof over your head that you probably will not have any other way.

Just like it was for me.

It's like we used to pray for these days and >> pray for a day where we didn't really have to worry about where with Blair had at night.

And I think that that has been something that people don't realize the gravity of one.

You.

I don't know where you're going to lay your head at night.

Consider yourself lucky because just having like the basic necessities in life is so important and every person is deserving of that.

>> A big part of habitats Veterans build initiative is actually giving veterans like myself a way to continue to serve by serving other veterans for unless they and they do so because they're very service-oriented individuals to be able to do something that totally benefited someone else with no personal benefit to me and to be able to work hard and accomplish this mission and actually take this on like a mission like when I was in the military, it really was rewarding thing to watch her face homelessness and >> other struggles in life.

And for an entire community to come together to provide a home for her has just been the most amazing experience.

>> I've learned through this whole experience how much veterans care about other veterans and now.

I never really thought about that before.

I've never been able to be around other veterans supporting other veterans.

I can't wait for someone else to be able to experience what I'm experiencing right now.

I can't wait to help someone else.

Feel the way I feel right now.

>> The Veterans Village built by the Habitat takes its name from First Sergeant Lewis D Garrett and African-American Somerset native and Buffalo soldier in the U.S. Army Calvary during World War.

2 Garrett was a pillar of the community who worked as a tailor after returning from the war.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says women are the fastest growing group in the veteran population.

Women leaving the military have unique needs and there are many resources to support them in civilian life.

Anna's House, a service from Lady Veterans Connect hopes to fill that gap.

And Kentucky.

>> And this house is a transitional home and they needed member.

My mom.

We wear our maks a pass today.

We could have 32 women, veterans lady here.

Women veterans are continue to be the fastest growing segment.

The homeless population.

And just at along this year to a sad been women veterans at 33%.

And that's just not acceptable.

We provide them with a safe place.

>> That has where they have food.

And water and electricity and Internet.

We have different services sometimes that are willing to come here and provide things pro bono.

We want them to leave here and move on.

2 news table.

Living arrangements not go back to homelessness.

>> I've been here since last January.

I had like a little sweet here and they said the window with plans for the course it.

I love of his own.

The flight line, though, the female out there working on fighter jet.

>> For 8 years and that's it.

Yeah.

And breathe and exhaust for 8 years.

Could that be good?

So when I got here, I actually had to go in the hospital and blood clot in my right lung have been blowing in the wind.

She's been very helpful and getting me in touch with the correct people to wear.

Yeah, there's no more.

Yeah.

Well, we'll get to you when we can.

9 years is a long time that started, you know, first disability claim 9 years ago.

And it's just now the people that she put me in touch with as may have happened.

This is the only one in Kentucky.

And sand in 7 surrounding states as well.

Because most of them are shelters.

And so it's temporary.

You get your cots and whatever here they all have their own bedroom.

We had the kitchen with a cafe.

Me things.

I think they can.

>> Cook a meal together.

They together.

I think healing picks better place in a home environment.

And that's what we try to make this.

When you have the fellowship of other veterans, they I understand you in a way that people who are veterans can't and that's what we're hoping 2 help drive the healing and the hope for are women veteran who come here.

It is is really building on that connection between them.

It's not easy being out there and especially if you're female and it's really tough to maintain outside and with no no way of now.

We need to buy to do a loop.

You have no real been hand up.

So this place was really late.

It saved me.

>> Blessing indeed.

More than 300,000 Kentuckians fought in World War 2, at least 8 from Fayette County landed on the beaches of Normandy in June.

A special event was held at the Kentucky Theater honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

It included firsthand reflections of that historic day that became a turning point in the war.

>> Jessi Rice was born on March.

25th 1922. and lived in both Fayette and in counties throughout his life.

We're actually celebrating hate.

>> Fayette County soldiers who dropped him to Normandy on D-Day and were killed over there and they're now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

So this is a very special evening to be able to honor them.

>> We have a long relationship with our sister city in Deauville, France, which is located in Normandy.

They certainly remember there because of our relationship being so long.

We we were sisters, cities in 1957.

So it's been a long time and we know we've been there many times and we know have they remember over there?

They remember and we want our children to remember here.

It's been a real experience trying to find the.

The family members of these soldiers that will be accepting proclamations from the mayor tonight.

>> My father was 12 when Joseph was lost and we're to nothing.

44.

Bombing of a gator with the hundreds bomb group for many mission.

Then on the just and come back from one of them.

I never been in Lexington before.

But we've been able to walk the town and see where they live.

We know where they live in where they shop and where they went to a restaurant.

A lot of places still hear the well preserved in this town.

>> We stopped by the University of Kentucky because we figured there might be some information about my great uncle's education there.

And we discovered that not only was our great uncle there right before he sent off to the war, but he was also there with his sister at the same time, which we had no idea that you Don t versus University of Kentucky.

So that was that was really, really need to kind of pull that thread and find out something because a lot of these records are lost.

We don't even have his initial his initial service records.

We only know about his discharge in his death.

So it's it's really need to be here with the University of Kentucky working with them to find these records that we thought previously were lost.

The Payne family is now on its 3rd generation of aviators.

So my great uncle's pilot, he's a pilot.

Violet when duty called.

So the right cause.

We have to go regardless of circumstance and that's what the people did.

>> And a lot of unpaid was a >> I just mentioned it.

>> We should always remember.

And, you know, as of the soldiers who went over there to fight, we can't forget they were fighting against the Nazis and we have to remember these things and honor these things beneath the American flag at the coastline.

Bides quiet as a promised.

Terrifying.

We still.

>> Having mean mourning for nearly 80 years.

>> I hope that they'll take away in their heart that we are friends with the people in Normandy and they always honor our fallen soldiers and that cemetery and also too understand history so that we don't forget.

>> Lexington is continuing to honor its 24 Fayette County inductees in the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame.

The city is put up banners of the men and women along Vine Street in downtown Lexington Lexington's Commission on Veterans Affairs partnered with the mayor's office and the Lexington History Museum to collect and coordinate information to be presented on the banners.

In addition to the 24 banners displayed along Vine Street, there's a digital exhibit curated by the Lexington History Museum.

And you can learn more about each veteran represented in the banner program by going online to LAX history dot org, slash veterans.

In 1942.

Christian County welcomed a U.S. army installation known today as Fort Campbell into its backyard.

It forever changed the region.

Fort Campbell straddles the Kentucky Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentuckyian Clarksville, Tennessee.

As the largest employer in Christian County and home to the famed 100st Airborne division.

The only Aerosol division in the world.

Fort Campbell has come to play a vital role in the cultural and economic vitality of the area.

Kentucky edition went on the road to visit the military base.

>> Fort Campbell is currently the home of the 100st Airborne Division.

And there are 2 10 units, one 60th Special Operations, Aviation Regiment and 5th Special Forces group.

There is also the 52nd explosive ordinance Disposal Brigade.

I hope we have a major hospital unit associated with Blanchfield Army Hospital and then smaller 10 units that live here.

Also when the camp first came into being in 1942, Hopkinsville is about 12 miles to the North.

Clarksville is about 12 miles to the south.

And there was nothing in between.

Initially it was assumed very early that this was going to be camp Campbell, Tennessee.

Hopkinsville had competed and was actually responsible for the Army.

Rick, I'm team coming down in selecting this area and there's always been a little bit of the tension between Hopkinsville and Clarksville and the basin where loyalties lie the little bit of tension is something that's good for the for the the city of Fort Campbell to play against one.

Enterprising young mayor from Hopkinsville had started to campaign, which is really kind of effective and it was turned left at the main gate.

So if you're leaving Fort Campbell and you had made the decision your family was going to live off the city than the local economy turning left would take you to Hopkinsville.

It's one of the best places in the arm.

People seek it out for their final assignment.

Sometimes because of the great relationship with both Hopkinsville in Clarksville and the local area because there's a lot of employment opportunities for service in both the cities of great schools for families, great recreation.

Work.

And we'll have the dawn at Pratt Museum named in honor of one of our early assistant division commanders who was killed on D-Day 80 years ago.

We covered the history of the 100st Airborne division and then the Army, Richard, the museum system.

So we have a large army museum enterprise of 27 museums, underling sharing our artifacts and working together professionally.

And when we did that, we were able to expand their story lines a little bit.

We generally bring in about 40,000 people a year and we're getting increase that number substantially with the new Wings of Liberty Museum.

The new Wings of Liberty Museum.

We'll have about 60,000 Square feet of exhibit space.

We tell the history of the city of Fort Campbell and the units that have been signed here.

The units have been assigned here, primarily have been the 100 and first task force one, 60 in the to that Special Forces group, our experts and what we call vertical in development work fare.

So the museum storyline is the history of parachutist writers, helicopters, special operations conducted guy with a special air crews and things like that.

And we've already designed those exhibits.

And we're just waiting for the building to be built.

And the goal that we're looking for is to have a public-facing museum that will be very accessible to those who don't have easy privileges for getting on to Fort Campbell.

Some people say it's difficult to get on because you have to get a visitor's pass and all of that.

So this will be right along Fort Campbell Boulevard so that visitors can turn directly in about having to go through post security and come up to the museum the state of Tennessee has helped substantially with the funding of the exhibit hall and getting the project started and the foundation is looking towards the state of Kentucky for our large education center.

So that will KET that Tennessee, Kentucky partnership in promoting the history of the city of Fort Campbell in the units were assigned here while simultaneously bringing in both local communities and providing resources that would be haven't ages for our veterans for Army families and for educators at all.

Local colleges, high schools and elementary schools.

>> The Wings of Liberty Museum is expected to open late next year.

Over the summer Jacobson Park and Lexington had a special group fishing its waters visually impaired.

Veterans had a laid-back day of fishing.

Thanks to volunteers from Camp Hero and the Veterans Affairs, visual impairment services team or vist for short.

>> What came through it does is we host that's the first responders for mental health support using the outdoors.

Alexis, I was in the Navy and I got will medically retired from the Navy.

I then became a police officer in Shepherdsville Kentucky Derby medically retired again.

So I started to do with mental health issues because I felt like I was losing my purpose.

My identity start getting back in the outdoors.

Cause I grew up in the outdoors that having a fishing and stuff and I regress from that, you know, while dealing with depression.

>> So get back outdoors relies on beneficial was being out in nature.

So start bringing other bets of first responders that became friends without major and fellow shipping and realize how much of a good thing that was.

So in 2019, my wife and I bought 160 acres in Jackson County, Kentucky, and we started camp Hero.

This.

What they do is they help with visually impaired veterans transition into everyday life.

And they said a lot of the dismas really missed being in the outdoors.

They really miss being able to fish to really miss, being able to hug lost their vision and ask if there's any way we could help with that.

That's absolutely there.

While these pro be in line.

And ahead in just a little bit of a if you want to do more.

>> And then you've got a in a process here.

Intent on other people.

So we set up today this fishing program where?

>> We'll have that when paired better and out here paired up with our staff and help where they can come out there and they can cast and everything else, you know, because they used to fish before they lost >> So far it's going good.

And I haven't called for this yet, but I'm working on it.

Well, I'm not like some of this able veteran and not Kara.

Tell me about it.

And it says something bad going fish and I'm all for it.

I was all ready to go until 2011.

>> I have.

And I know, but I had to go.

I collect right card, whatever.

And just take off.

No official word on water.

I did see he will officially.

Is that is based on the spot on the 11 0 hey, you're getting a bye.

Go ahead and set the hook.

>> But they'll still be a real of the fish will still be on the field at the Seville, feel officially get it and get that excitement that they, you know, once and for its people think they can't do it anymore because it blindness.

>> And now this showing that you can still do what he was doing prior to last.

I love all those events.

Love to have to go out and do whatever I need to do.

And meet other veterans in town People like Rocco, his program here.

Inside a u N veterans out.

And it's one of the things he does.

Kalla guys and girls are helping.

Yeah, it.

It could change the way better look alikes.

>> A good program.

Indeed.

This was the first partnership between this stand Camp Hero.

The VA says it hopes to partner with Camp Hero more often in the future.

Everyone deserves gifts during the holidays, especially those serving our country with Christmas just around the corner, the nonprofit military missions is gearing up for its largest shipment.

>> Our mission is to send care packages to deployed military personnel overseas.

Typically 2 locations that there relatively honest year.

I don't have all the comforts of home sometimes very remote and including ships at sea.

We sent 4 times a year.

We colors operation sends Operation Easter, Send operations and freedom, which is based on getting the packages to.

To our folks have by the 4th of July.

We do an operation center.

Thanks in in the fall and then we were all right.

And operation sent Christmas, which were in the middle of right now.

Typically our care packages have snack items.

I.

Individuals size snack items we tried to put in a package of of hard candy.

We don't ship chocolate because it melts ign items, individuals size body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, those type of items, dental floss.

We'll do this.

Packages are small cans of tuna fish, meaning we needs bna sausage those types of things playing cards, puzzle books.

And then every one of our packages, cats, a packet of greeting cards, specifically Christmas.

We're asking for Christmas cards.

We'll take depending on what we get in.

We'll take 8 to 12.

Signed handwritten Christmas cards include those in our package.

This Christmas.

We've got what we've what we're calling Project Pillow case.

When I put a pillow case in.

Every box or or bag that we send so that and we've actually got 1700 pillow cases right now made.

I'm going to wrap Christmas rap.

Those were put those into boxes.

So we're going to ask that other folks come in and help us Christmas rap.

And actually make the final assembly on these boxes and bags that we sent.

>> One other saying that we do at Christmas that we don't do the rest of the year.

As we said, what we call a buddy box.

So for every individual address, name and address that we have.

We send that person to boxes.

And we put a note in the second box.

It says.

You receive.

Our Christmas box.

Here's one.

For somebody that, you know, that has not received anything for Christmas, you can share with them.

>> For the Christmas holiday military missions is doing Operation Drop Box where people can drop off items at specific locations.

It's also stocking the snack bar for the USS George Washington, which has around 3800 sailors once again, our gratitude to all the men and women who serve and protect our great nation.

We hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night for Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, Central.

We inform connect and inspire.

Thanks for watching and have a good night.

♪ ♪