By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
Robert C. Parker, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been given the highest honor from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Gov. Andy Beshears recently commissioned Parker as a Kentucky Colonel.
Robert C. Parker, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been given the highest honor from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Gov. Andy Beshears recently commissioned Parker as a Kentucky Colonel. (Photo contributed)
Gov. Beshears comments on the state’s website, “Our Colonels are Kentucky’s ambassadors of good will and fellowship around the worlds. Commissions as Kentucky Colonels are presented for contributions to the community, state, or nation, and for special achievements of all kinds.”
Parker said of hearing of his commission, “My reaction was in amazement. You have to be nominated for such an award by someone. I don’t know who it was, but I wish I could thank them.”
An automotive and motorcycle engineer working in Florida, Parker has never actually been to Kentucky. “This award can be given to anyone, not just people from Kentucky,” he noted. “It is the highest honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
He added, “I was given this award for bravery – being a local hero, always helping others, and helping Native reservations out west that don’t have the luxuries we have. It means a lot to me that someone who knows me well nominated me for this. I am definitely thankful, and it encourages me to keep on the path I’m on.”
Information from the official Kentucky Colonels website states on its history, “The title Kentucky Colonel dates back to around 1813. The Kentucky Militia has just returned from a highly successful campaign during the War of 1812. When the militia disbanded, Gov. Isaac Shelby commissioned Charles S. Todd, one of his officers in the campaign, as an Aide-de-Camp on the governor’s staff. Todd’s official rank and grade was colonel. While early Colonels actually served militia roles, the position took on a more ceremonial function in the late 1800s.”
