Glennville's U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Retired) Claude Milton Kicklighter, known locally as General Mickey Kicklighter, was honored for his achievements as one of the inductees into the Georgia Military Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2022. This year’s event will be held on November 4 in Columbus, Georgia, at the St. Luke's Ministry Center.
Kicklighter entered active duty upon graduation from Mercer University in 1955. He contributed over 35 years of active duty service along with over six decades of military, public, and private sector service to our nation. After two tours in Vietnam, he held command positions in the 4th Inf. Div.; 24th Inf. Div.; USA Security Assistance Command; 25th Inf. Div.; and USA Western Command and USA Pacific. He also served as the Director, Army Staff.
Some of his numerous awards are as follows: Distinguished Service Medal (3); Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit (3); and Bronze Star Medal. After his Army retirement in 1991, he continued to serve his country in several Department of Defense and Veterans Administration positions, as well as contributing to a multitude of charitable organizations. In addition, he has been awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Presidential Citizens Medal.
The proclamation approved by the Tattnall County Commissioners on Monday, October 2, 2023, for Georgia Veterans' Hall of Fame, Inc., Day for November 4, 2023, recognizes the service of Georgia citizens in the military, including active duty, reserves, and National Guard.
Georgia currently has 678,304 living veterans of former service to America's military branches, and in 2013 the Georgia Military Veterans' Hall of Fame, Inc., was established to honor and induct annually 15 Georgians into the nation's premier military branches. Through 2023, 177 Georgians have been inducted.
Since establishing an annual "ROTC Scholarship Program" in 2020, the Georgia Military Veterans' Hall of Fame, Inc., has awarded thirty-nine $4000 scholarships to Georgia's top 39 senior high school Senior JROTC Cadets who are enrolled in the ROTC Program at a Georgia four-year university.