On an unusually cold October morning, Danny Knipp walks down into the dark, concrete basement of the Rowan County Veterans Museum – a small, beige brick building in downtown Morehead. Danny, president and curator of the museum, needs to be sure the new heating system worked when the temperature dipped below freezing overnight.
The 70-year-old veteran is dedicated to supporting his fellow veterans from big events such as standing beside families as they bury their loved ones to even the smallest aspects such as watching out for frozen pipes in the museum’s building.
“I want to do the job because if I do it I know it’ll get done,” Danny says.
He enlisted in the army when he was 19-years-old and served from 1966 to 1969. While stationed in Korea, he worked as an office shop clerk. He sees himself as a veteran who gave some but not all. He doesn’t like the spotlight, but he shines it on others, like the time he urged Purple Heart recipients to stand proudly when others want to honor their sacrifice at veterans events.
“I’m not a standout. I’m not a celebrity. I’m not a medal winner. I’m not a war hero,” Danny says. “I’m nothing but a veteran who supports other veterans. I’m the bottom rung of the veterans who supports all the other.”