Kentucky: National Guard History eMuseum

The National Guard has a long history in Monticello. Currently, Monticello is the home of Company C of the 1/623rd Field Artillery. This battalion has a long and colorful history extending back to 1846, when the 1st Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry was formed from counties surrounding Lexington to fight in the Mexican War. When the war ended, the unit left federal service and was reorganized as the Lexington Rifles under command of Captain John Hunt Morgan in 1857.

"With the Civil War came Confederate service. The unit moved secretly to Bowling Green as a cavalry company and joined with other cavalry companies such as Morgan's Squadron, Kentucky Cavalry. The mission of the unit expanded to regimental size. Morgan's Men surrendered to Union forces near Woodstock, Georgia on May 8, 1865. The members were paroled. From 1884 to 1921, Morgan's Men were part of an Infantry unit and a Machine Gun Squadron. From 1929 until World War II, the unit was cavalry. In 1940, that portion of Morgan's Men which presently exists, was reorganized as an artillery unit, which it remains to the present."

Morgan's Men have participated in the Mexican War, the Civil War (Confederacy), World War I, World War II, and Korea. The 1/623rd Field Artillery is known as "Morgan's Men", with current headquarters in Glasgow, Kentucky. Companies from Carrollton, Springfield, Tompkinsville, and Monticello make up the battalion.

A historical marker in the front yard of the armory details Morgan's raid through Kentucky. The sign reads:

"Morgan was gone 24 days in Kentucky, traveling 1000 miles, raiding 17 towns and destroying USA supplies and arms found there. He went through Kentucky via Paris, Winchester, Richmond, Somerset, and Monticello on July 22, 1862. Morgan had 900 cavalry with him."

A detailed map on the back of the sign shows Morgan's route through the state on his 1000-mile raid.

In December of 1921, Troop B of the Fifty-fourth Machine Gun Squadron was federally recognized at Monticello. In 1929, the unit was reorganized as Troop K of the 123rd Cavalry. An armory for Troop B (Stokes Hall) was built in 1928, and was a two- story red brick building located on North Main Street. The armory was named for Captain Joel L. Stokes, Sr., who served as troop commander from 1925 to 1939. The building was vacated in 1964 when the unit moved to a new armory farther down Main Street. The building sat empty for a number of years before it was condemned and demolished around 1978.

The current unit in Monticello, Company C, 1/623rd Field Artillery, was activated for Desert Storm December 7, 1990 through May, 1991. Company C left from Fort Campbell and were sent to Dhaharan in Saudi Arabia. The main body of the company went over on February 12, 1991, while some of the men left earlier. Before going to the desert, the men had to go through training and certification to make sure they were prepared for their duties overseas. The men were in Saudi Arabia in direct support of the 118th Airborne. The day after the air strike began , the men began a 367 mile trek through the desert with their 8" howitzers, stopping only for food and fuel. Their guns were too slow to catch up with the Army, however, so the men were never engaged in active combat. The men returned to Fort Campbell on May 10.

Lanny K. Brown Memorial at the Monticello Armory

Outside the armory, at the base of the flag pole, a memorial plaque was installed to commemorate PFC Lanny K. Brown, who was struck by lightning and killed at Fort Knox on July 15, 1970 during annual training.

The armory in Monticello is used for many community activities, as well as the WHAS Crusade for Children. The unit has had many state active duty missions, including snow duty (the biggest problem in Monticello). The unit also participates in community functions such as the Clinton County Foothills Festival, the Wayne County air show, fairs, Christmas and Veterans Day parades, and efforts to clean up Lake Cumberland.

Monticello Motor Vehicle Service Building

A historical marker tracing John Hunt Morgan's trail through Kentucky stands in the front yard. Bricks from the 1926 armory on North Main Street were used to create the sign in front of the armory. The current 1964 armory serves as both a military and community center in Monticello, and is the third building used by the National Guard since its inception in Monticello.

An old Motor Vehicle Storage Building (MVSB) is located on North Main Street and is owned by the Wayne County school system. The MVSB was built in 1949, and is similar in appearance to other buildings in Tompkinsville, Ravenna, and Middlesboro. The Motor Vehicle Storage Buildings in Monticello, Middlesboro, and Tompkinsville are all concrete block structures while the Ravenna MVSB is made of brick. The National Guard unit in Monticello was one of the first small cities in Kentucky to have an armory.