Honoring local veterans at the Brown County Fair

When most think of the Brown County Fair, it’s the rides, games, food, fair exhibits, and live entertainment that often come to mind. But the Brown County Fair is also a time to honor local veterans. Each year during the fair, crowds gather to recognize local veterans during the Veterans POW/MIA Memorial Service. In recent years, those coordinating the veterans’ program changed the name to include the recognition of all veterans, the Brown County Fair Veterans’ Recognition Service.

Local veterans gain entry to the fair for free on the day of the Veterans’ Recognition Service, which takes place on Thursday of the fair each year. JROTC programs of Western Brown High School and Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington High School take part in the service, and music is provided by Ohio’s oldest band, the 123 year old Liberty Band.

Due to wet conditions, this year’s Veterans’ Recognition Service was held in the Danny Gray Activity Center rather than the main ring of the fairgrounds, and an empty seat could hardly be found.

As in past years, the following individuals played a prominent role in this year’s veteran’s program: Rick Rhoades (VFW Post No. 9772), Master of Ceremonies Ken Waterfield (U.S. Army); Chaplain Bill Graybill (U.S. Army); and featured speakers General Deborah Ashenhurst (U.S. Army National Guard ret.), General Gordon Ellis (U.S. Army National Guard ret.), and Colonel Dan Bubp (U.S.M.C.R. ret.).

Waterfield thanked all those in attendance to the Sept. 28 Brown County Fair Veterans’ Recognition Service for coming out to show support for local veterans.

“It means so much to our vets who are here this evening,” Waterfield said to the many who came to show support.

Ellis spoke of his service in the military, and paid tribute to the veterans who served and their families for their sacrifices.

“What made military service worthwhile were the soldiers – the marines, the sailors, and the airmen to your right and left,” Ellis said to the crowd of veterans and supporters.

Danny Bubp, who has been part of the Brown County Fair Veterans’ Recognition Service since the 1990s, went around the room paying tribute to fellow veterans in attendance, including 100-year-old Korean War Veteran Jim Hanselman.

“We’ve got a real patriotic county here,” said Bubp.

Prayer during the Veterans’ Recognition Service at this year’s Brown County Fair was led by Chaplain Graybill.

In a county with many proud veterans, General Deborah Ashenhurst (director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services) credited the people of Brown County for their strong support of local veterans.

”Brown County knows how to honor, respect, and take care of its veterans,” said Ashenhurst.

Each year during the veterans service at the fair, Rhoades takes the time to honor one Brown County veteran. This year, Rhoades paid tribute to Brigadier General Charles Young, of Ripley.

Young was born to enslaved parents, Gabriel and Arminta Young, on March 12, 1864 in Mays Lick, KY.

His father escaped enslavement, and in February 1865 he joined the Fifth Regiment, U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery. Sometime after Gabriel’s enlistment, the Young family relocated from Kentucky to Ripley, OH, seeking a new life in the river town that was known as the center of abolitionism, according to information provided by the National Park Service. Charles Young excelled in the classroom in Ripley. At age 17, he graduated with academic honors from the integrated high school in 1881. After high school, Young taught at the African-American elementary school in Ripley for two years. He would continue to chase his thirst for knowledge and education while under the guidance and mentoring of renowned African-American abolitionist John Parker, according to information from the National Park Service.

In 1883, Charles Young’s father encouraged him to take the entrance examination to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Young scored the second highest on the exam and was not selected to the Academy that year. When the candidate ahead of him dropped out of West Point, Young received his opportunity the following year. He entered West Point on June 10, 1884 to become only the ninth African American to attend the academy and only the third to graduate.

Because military leaders would not allow an African-American officer to command white troops, the Adjutant General’s Office waited three months after Young’s West Point graduation in 1889 before assigning the newly-commissioned 2nd Lieutenant to the 9th Cavalry at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. After a year, Young transferred to Fort Duchesne, Utah, where the command and fellow officers proved more welcoming. Here, Young mentored Sergeant Major Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. who later became the first African American to attain the rank of general.

Between 1889 and 1907 Young served in the Ninth Cavalry at western posts and rose to the rank of captain. He also taught military science, served as a military attaché, and fought with distinction in the Phillipine-American War, winning the praise of his commanders for his troops’ courage and professionalism in and out of combat.

Young had a long and distinguished military career, serving in many capacities in the U.S. Army.

“Many of his years in the Army were spent with all black units called ‘Buffalo Soldiers’, a marker given to them by the Cheyenne Indian Tribe out of respect for what they considered the monarch of plains, the American Bison,” Rhoades said of Charles Young.

In July 1917, Young was medically retired and promoted to colonel in recognition of his distinguished Army service.

On November 1, 2021, Charles Young was honorably and posthumously promoted to Brigadier General.

“He truly was a man who was a credit to his country,” Rhoades said of Charles Young.

In addition to the Liberty Band, also providing live music for this year’s Veterans’ Recognition Service was local singer Harriett Groh.

Veteran sons could be seen hugging their veteran fathers, and veterans who entered the Danny Gray Activity Center in wheelchairs mustered up the strength to stand, rising to their feet and saluting during the veterans program. Emotions filled the room as memories of their military service filled the heads of veterans in attendance. Surrounding the many veterans was a vast crowd of people, consisting of those young and old, there to say, “Thank you for your service.”