BOWLING GREEN, KY. (KT) – Gov. Andy Beshear joined veterans, military families and state and community leaders Tuesday to open the new $53 million Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center.
The new facility will expand access to compassionate, high-quality health care for veterans in Western Kentucky and create 152 new jobs.
“This center represents Kentucky’s enduring commitment to the men and women who have served our nation,” Beshear said. “The Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center will provide veterans and their families with access to exceptional care closer to home while honoring the legacy of a Kentucky leader who spent decades advocating for his fellow veterans.”
The 80,000-square-foot center includes 60 private suites with private bathrooms and common living, dining and support areas designed to promote comfort, dignity and community. The center will include state-of-the-art equipment and offer physical therapy and recreational activities. It is the state’s fifth skilled nursing facility for veterans.
The center is named in honor of the late Col. Robert E. “Bob” Spiller, U.S. Army, retired, a decorated military leader, longtime Bowling Green resident and advocate for veterans.
“Col. Spiller believed that veterans in Western Kentucky deserved access to excellent care in their own region,” said Whitney Allen Jr., commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs. “This facility is a lasting tribute to his service and determination. We are proud to carry forward his vision by creating a welcoming home where Kentucky veterans can receive skilled nursing care while maintaining their dignity, independence and connection to community.”
Col. Spiller was born in Philadelphia and came to Bowling Green to attend Western Kentucky University (WKU), where he met his wife of 66 years, Bowling Green native Cora Jane Morningstar. Col. Spiller graduated from WKU in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history in 1950. Following his 30-year military career, serving during the Korean and Vietnam wars, his final assignment was as chief of staff of the Berlin Brigade, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. After retiring from the U.S. Army, he returned to Bowling Green, where he volunteered to drive veterans to medical appointments in Nashville and became a driving force behind efforts to establish a veterans center in the community.
For more information about the Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center, including admission inquiries and volunteer opportunities, visit veterans.ky.gov.
