THE EDMONSON VOICE
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
    • VOICE Calendar >
      • About VOICE Calendar
    • County Schools Calendar
  • Obits
  • Sports
    • WildcatsLive/Schedules
    • Recorded Game Videos
  • Weather
  • Features
    • Opinion
    • Ask Mongoose
    • Legal/Professional Policy
    • Our Staff
    • Contest Rules
    • Our Sponsors
  • FAQs
Picture
Picture
Picture

Edmonson County's Number One Source for Local News

Local Veteran Inducted Into Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame

8/31/2022

0 Comments

 
Mike Stoyonovich Has Quite the Collection of Awards, But Helping Other Vet Families Remains His Focus
Picture
Brownsville resident Mike Stoyonovich is inducted in to the KY Veteran Hall of Fame on August 27, 2022.
Darren Doyle, story:
Brownsville resident and local veteran Mike Stoyonovich
, Army First SGT. Ret., was inducted in the the Kentucky Veteran Hall of Fame on August 27, 2022.

The ceremony, which was held in Lexington on Saturday, featured the induction of
29 Kentucky military veterans from 16 counties, the largest class in its history.

While Stoyonovich has only been an Edmonson County resident for around 8 years, his impact on the local veteran community has made it as though he's been here a lifetime. Stoyonovich, a Vietnam vet, retired from the U.S. Army and soon joined a Disabled Veterans of America in Russell Springs, KY in 2009. Upon moving to Edmonson County, he joined local Chapter 32 but soon realized there was more needed from him than simply being a member.

"I guess you could say I had an epiphany," he said. "There was just something about the people here that was so unselfish. Everybody here was a neighbor, and they helped each other. That's when I saw that I had been pretty selfish with my time. They encouraged me to volunteer as opportunities came up. Now it seems like I can't say no."

He was named DAV Junior Vice Commander in 2015 and became Adjutant in 2016, where he handled all the administrative duties in the chapter. In 2018 he was encouraged to run for Junior Vice Commander of the State Executive Council and he won. In that same year, he was also appointed as State Service Officer for the KY State DAV.

He was honored as Disabled Veteran of the Year in 2019 by the KY DAV and in 2020, was named Service Officer of the Year.


Picture
Picture
Stoyonovich was guest speaker at the Edmonson Co. Vietnam Veteran Ceremony on March 27, 2021.
Picture
Stoyonovich (left) and Floyd Houston at a Memorial Day Ceremony in Brownsville.

Inductees were first celebrated Friday night, escorted into a Grand Gala dinner by the Lexington Police Honor Guard and bagpipe ensemble. After their military service was briefly summarized, inductees were escorted to their tables by members of Pershing Rifle Company C-1 from the University of Kentucky.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed the near-record crowd: "Veterans put country and people first," he said.

Stoyonovich said the induction was truly an honor.

"To have my name associated with the best veteran advocates is unbelievable," he said. "It was a first class ceremony and I was just in awe the whole time."

While he has complied an impressive amount of hardware over the years, it isn't the plaques, trophies, or shadowboxes that keep him going; his role as a local service officer in the DAV, which helps provide benefits for veterans and their families, is what it's all about.

"Since I've been working with vets here in Edmonson County, we've been able to help 2500 local veteran families and secure over $2 Million in income for them, and that's a blessing," he said. "One example is from the case of a widow woman who was 83 years old. Her husband, who had died, had retired from the Army full time but she was left without any benefits or insurance. She was living on $300 a month and had been given a place to stay by a neighbor. We were able to get her about another $1500 a month in a pension
. I remember her telling me, 'you changed my life,' and she baked two cakes and brought them to us. That's why I do this."

In addition to his military service and serving others through the local DAV and VFW Chapters, Stoyonovich also joined the Edmonson County Planning Commission in 2015, where he now serves as Chairman, he is also a board member of the Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce, the BRADD Steering Committee, a Chamber representative on the County Rec Tax Committee, and he was named a "Citizen of the Year" in 2021 by the Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce.

During the induction ceremony, a KVHOF medal was presented to each veteran as their community service was narrated. They were also given an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. Framed medals were presented to stand-ins for deceased inductees. Afterwards, Judge Lindsey Hughes Thurston formally swore the class into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame. The class plaque was unveiled, a replica of one now permanently displayed with earlier class plaques in the Kentucky Capitol building. Names will eventually be added to regional KVHOF monuments planned for installation around Kentucky.


Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    COMMENTING/LEGAL
    Deadline INFO
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

COPYRIGHT 2014-2025.
HOME
NEWS 
COMMUNITY


OBITS
FEATURES
WEATHER
​​
WILDCATS LIVE
​
SPORTS
CONTACT
Copyright 2014-2025 The Edmonson Voice.
​The Edmonson Voice logos are registered trademarks.
Call or text: 270-597-6550 ​[email protected]
PO BOX 94
BROWNSVILLE, KY 42210
CLICK HERE FOR DEADLINE INFO

  • Home
  • News
  • Community
    • VOICE Calendar >
      • About VOICE Calendar
    • County Schools Calendar
  • Obits
  • Sports
    • WildcatsLive/Schedules
    • Recorded Game Videos
  • Weather
  • Features
    • Opinion
    • Ask Mongoose
    • Legal/Professional Policy
    • Our Staff
    • Contest Rules
    • Our Sponsors
  • FAQs