Somerset's Garrett honored at groundbreaking for Habitat for Humanity Veterans Village

Apr. 13—"As it turns out, it takes a village to build a village."

Those were the words of Jon Roberts, Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County, Ky., board member and Veterans Task Force head, at a ceremonial groundbreaking for a special new project on Saturday — one that honors a veteran of this community's past by taking care of the veterans of its present.

A Veterans Village, which is set to provide three cottages for those who have served in this nation's Armed Forces and don't have a comfortable place to live available, will be built on a grassy lot facing Bourne Avenue, property donated by the City of Somerset.

The project will be named after a notable figure in Somerset's past. Louis Garrett was known in the community for many years as an expert tailor before he passed away in 2005, but he was also a U.S. veteran. After graduating Dunbar High School in 1941 as Salutatorian of his class, Garrett joined the U.S. Army and was a 1st Sergeant in the 9th and 27th Horse Cavalry. He was part of the group known as the "Buffalo Soldiers," a nickname associated with African-American cavalry soldiers that originated in the Civil War.

"A very important component of Veterans Build (a Habitat for Humanity program focused on veterans) is making sure that we honor service and sacrifice, that we honor veterans," said Roberts. "... We knew that we wanted to honor a veteran from our community. We knew that we wanted to dedicate this project to someone deserving."

Habitat's team learned about Garrett when researching another earlier Buffalo Soldier from the area, Brent Woods. Roberts read up on Garrett and "felt as if (he) was meeting an old friend."

The next step was to reach out to Garrett's family, and in speaking to another notable member of Somerset'sAfrican-American community, Dr. Elaine Wilson, to try to reach them, Roberts learned that Garrett lived very near where the Veterans Village would be built.

"I don't believe in coincidences, and that's when the divine compass went off and I knew that we were on the right track," said Roberts.

Garrett's wife Maxine was present at the event along with many other members of Garrett's surviving family, and was presented by Somerset Mayor Alan Keck with the American flag flown in his honor along with a sign bearing his name welcoming others to the "Louis D. Garrett Village." The family members also lined up to participate in the official groundbreaking.

"I think today is a wonderful day, and my husband wouldn't have missed it for the world," said Maxine Garrett, speaking to the Commonwealth Journal. "... It is a very big honor."

Read more on this event in Tuesday's edition of the Commonwealth Journal.

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