Cherry awarded with DAR Medal of Honor

Published 3:03 pm Friday, July 24, 2026

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Retired Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry waves to the crowd after he is presented with the Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution by Kentucky DAR State Regent Julia Hood in a ceremony held at Aviation Heritage Park on Friday, July 24.
(JACK DOBBS / Daily News)

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Retired Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry listens to speakers discuss his career before he is presented with the Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution in a ceremony held at Aviation Heritage Park on Friday, July 24.
(JACK DOBBS / Daily News)

“It’s been a great day.”

That is how retired Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry summed up his feelings on Friday after he was awarded the 2026 Medal of Honor from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A DAR member described Cherry as a “really obvious” choice for the award.

“If you look at the DAR mission statement of patriotism, education, and historic preservation, he ticks all three boxes,” local DAR member Janet Cobb told the Daily News.

Cherry, a former pilot in the United States Air Force, is perhaps best known for his time served during the Vietnam War, when he shot down a MiG flown by North Vietnamese pilot Nguyen Hong My. The two later reconciled and became friends, a story Cherry penned in his book “My Enemy My Friend.”

After leaving the military in the late 1980s, Cherry worked with Operation PRIDE and was credited Friday with saving Bowling Green’s L&N depot from demolition. Cherry also spent time leading the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and served a stint as head of the Warren County Intermodal Transportation Authority.

Cherry was presented with the award in a ceremony at Aviation Heritage Park, which he is credited in helping get off the ground. For him, the credit goes to his family.

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“I’ve certainly been blessed with wonderful, supporting family over the years, great friends and great family,” he said. “If any one thing gave me the opportunity to do some of these things, it was my beautiful, supporting family.”

The Medal of Honor is given by the DAR to native-born American citizens who embody the organization’s values of patriotism and service to the community. A separate award, the Americanism Medal, is given to naturalized citizens.

Gayla Warner, a member of the Rotary Club of Bowling Green who has known Cherry for more than three decades, said during the ceremony that he “embodies the spirit of patriotism every day.”

“His service to our nation is not limited to his time in uniform,” Warner said. “It is a lifelong commitment to accepting, honoring, and advancing the ideals that define our beloved country.”

AHP head Bob Bubnis said he admires Cherry “greatly” and described the museum as “the house that Dan built.”

“It’s most fitting that we’re doing it here in this space, as you are in a museum that would not even be here if not for Dan,” Bubnis told attendees.

About Jack Dobbs

Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.

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