Veterans Spotlight

Army veteran carries lessons from 18-year military career into life When Cadet Matthew Holbrook earned his wings at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2000, his grandfather surprised him by attending the ceremony. The World War II paratrooper who…
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Marine Corps training stays with Y-12’s chief of protective forces Christopher Seals has never quite gotten the sound of John Wayne’s voice out of his head. The iconic actor made such an impression on the 18-year-old Hawkins County…
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Small business owner draws values,determination from Air Force experience Michael Laverdure’s journey through life really accelerated with his first car, a 1975 Dodge Dart. But he found the direction he needed from his service in the…
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From Mogadishu and Port-au-Prince to football and wrestling, Jason Bush is giving back. Jason Bush’s enlistment started in a familiar way. At the end of high school, he did not want to attend college, nor did his family have the means…
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Owen Ragland followed his father into the Air Force and led all three of his children along the same path. The frequent moves the military requires can be challenging, especially for the spouse who is organizing them and managing the…
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Larry and Kathy Winters draw from the past to prepare a new generation for the future. As the UTV sprints up the hill to the open field serving as the overflow parking lot at Melton Hill Park in Hardin Valley, I can see that there is…
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Rich Gross discusses his legal career and his current work with local veterans https://vimeo.com/356011119 As a young man, Rich Gross knew deep down that he wanted to be a lawyer. He also knew that there was no money set…
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Bradley Walker might hesitate to pronounce the Latin motto of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, of which he is a member, but he lives its message every day. Etiam in pugna. Still in the fight. Despite losing his legs to an IED explosion in Iraq…
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U.S. Army Captain Michael Trost’s Path to the Farm The hilltop house of Michael and Stephanie Trost in Maryville is in transition. They are slowly cleaning out, packing, and preparing to sell the Maryville property in order to realize…
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By Stuart Holland | Photo by Hobe Brunson Paul Soares spent 25 years hunting hurricanes & Soviet submarines Knoxville resident Paul Soares served 3 tours of duty in naval aviation. He spent one year as a command…
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