NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Major General Tommy H. Baker as the interim commissioner for the Department of Veterans Services. Former commissioner Courtney Rogers will return to the private sector.

NASHVILLE - Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Courtney Rogers addressed a room packed with representatives from half of Tennessee’s public and private non-profit higher education institutions last Friday for the fifth annual Statewide Veteran Education Academy hosted at the new Tennessee College of Applied Technology Murfreesboro’s Smyrna campus.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Courtney Rogers recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Richard C. “Tito” Lannom of Union City, who was reported missing as of March 1, 1968 during the Vietnam War. The Obion County native was assigned to Attack Squadron Three Five, USS Enterprise and was on an A-6A aircraft on a night mission over North Vietnam when the aircraft went missing. Lannom and the pilot were declared missing after a search and rescue mission failed to locate the plane. Lannom was 27-years old when he went missing.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Corporal William “Carter” Ross of Hendersonville. Ross was declared deceased by the Marine Corps on December 11 after five days of search and rescue operations to find five Marines involved in an accident involving two aircraft. The KC-130 Hercules was assigned to the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the F/A-18 Hornet was assigned to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242. Ross was 21-years old at the time of the accident off the coast of Japan on December 6. He was in the flight crew on the KC-130 at the time of the accident, which is currently under investigation.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder announce she will retire from public service on January 19, 2019. After 35 years in the Army National Guard and eight years as the first woman to serve as Commissioner for the Department of Veterans Services. Grinder is leaving to spend more time with family and pursue educational options, but plans to remain connected to the military and veteran communities.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Private First Class Lewis Price of Rogersville, who was reported missing as of November 6, 1944 during World War II. The Hawkins County native was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division during weeks of combat in the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. Price was 23-years old when he went missing.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today joined Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and Major General Terry “Max” Haston from the Tennessee Military Department to recognize five veteran state employees and more than 470,000 Tennessee veterans of all ages and eras. The Governor’s Veterans Day event was held on the second floor of the State Capitol in downtown Nashville.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Air Force Second Lieutenant Martin O’Callaghan, Jr. of Memphis, who was killed during a mission as a P-38 Lightning aircraft pilot in World War II in Maribor, Yugoslavia now known as Slovenia. He was serving with the 96th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group when his plane was struck by anti-aircraft fire which caused him to crash in occupied territory on February 15, 1945. He was 22 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class William Franklin (Frank) Cavin of Hancock County, who was killed in the Battle of Tarawa on November 20, 1943. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division on Betio Island and was among 1,000 Marines and Sailors killed during the World War II battle with the Japanese. He was 18 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class William Campbell of Elizabethton. Campbell was serving on the USS Oklahoma at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 when it was attacked by multiple torpedoes which caused the battleship to sink and resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen to include Campbell. He was 20 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Navy Ensign Harold P. DeMoss of Nashville, who went missing on June 23, 1945 while serving as a member of Fighting Squadron 100 (VF-100) from Naval Air Station Barbers Point in Oahu, Hawaii. He was 21 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves in partnership with U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads), Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), Parkers Crossroads Mayor Kenneth Kizer, Henderson County Mayor Dan Hughes and the Friends of the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads dedicated the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads today.

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today honored 23 state employees who are helping Tennessee lead by providing outstanding state services every day. The employees, who were nominated by their departments’ leadership for the Governor’s Excellence in Service Awards, were invited to attend a luncheon at the Tennessee Residence for providing efficient and effective service to the state and their fellow Tennesseans. “The employees honored today are on the forefront of improving how Tennessee state government delivers services,” Haslam said. “By exceeding leadership and customer expectations, creating innovative solutions or improving processes and services, these state employees are helping provide taxpayers with the highest quality service at the lowest possible cost.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves announced the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads will begin accepting online-pre registrations for burial beginning immediately. The cemetery will open Friday, July 6.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, First Lady Crissy Haslam, Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and Tennessee Military Department Adjutant General, Major General Terry “Max” Haston paid tribute to seven service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the state’s Memorial Day service today.