Gov. Beshear Celebrates Grand Opening of Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center

$53 million, 80,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility includes 60 private suites for Kentucky veterans, will create 152 new jobs

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2026) - 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, which 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," said Gov. Beshear. "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 and is located on 25 acres of land donated by the Inter-Modal Transportation Authority at the Kentucky Transpark in Warren County.

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 dedicated 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.

"My father stated he had one last mission in life and that was to get a VA Nursing Home in Bowling Green," said Bob Spiller, Col. Spiller's son. "He and a group of veterans undertook this task and their efforts are coming to fruition with the grand opening of the Bowling Green Veterans Center. It is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that will provide critical care to veterans for years to come. I wish my parents were still alive to see this."

The center was designed using the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' small-house model, which emphasizes private living spaces, shared household areas and a resident-centered approach to care. Services and amenities are intended to support skilled nursing needs, rehabilitation, physical therapy, recreation and social engagement.

"As a nurse who is also a proud military parent, the privilege of being able to use my professional skills and abilities to serve our veterans is not only an honor - it is humbling," said Trina Daves, the center's nursing manager. "The Robert E. Spiller Veterans Center is more than the bricks and mortar of a building. It is a testament to the vision and dedication of many individuals, such as Col. Spiller, to ensure that our veterans always have a place of honor to call their home. Our staff are driven to live out our mission every day. We are here with hearts full of gratitude to our veterans for their service. For many of us, this is not just a job; this is a deeply personal mission."

For more information about the Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center, including admission inquiries and volunteer opportunities, visit veterans.ky.gov.

Support for Veterans
Since day one, Gov. Beshear and his administration have been committed to supporting Kentucky's military community and families.

Kentucky now has five skilled nursing facilities for veterans, located in Bowling Green, Hanson, Hazard, Radcliff and Wilmore.

Earlier Tuesday, Gov. Beshear removed an employment barrier for veterans and active-duty military by signing an emergency regulation to fast-track Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs). The action waives the written CDL test for eligible current and former service members who operated commercial-style vehicles within the past two years, easing their transition into civilian employment.

This year, the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs earned its sixth straight Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award in customer experience.

In 2020, the Governor signed House Bill 24, which appropriated $2.5 million to the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs for design and preconstruction costs for the Bowling Green Veterans Center.

In Nov. 2022, Gov. Beshear joined federal, state and local leaders to break ground on the facility.

In April 2023, he joined veterans, state and local leaders and veteran service organization representatives for the center's naming ceremony. At the event, the Governor ceremonially signed House Bill 2, which dedicated an additional $16,630,000 in fiscal year 2022-2023 from the Budget Reserve Trust Fund to previously appropriated budget items to complete the center's construction.

The Governor has signed legislation that simplifies the job certification process for military spouses; expanded the Military Family Assistance Trust Fund; improved leave benefits for state employees who serve in the military; and added seven active military unit license plates to the 28 military-related plates that were already available.

The Governor also approved funds to support the Homeless Veterans Program, staffing at four of the veterans' cemeteries, and a permanent memorial honoring Medal of Honor recipients from Kentucky at the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, campus of Founding Forward (formerly Freedoms Foundation).

The administration is also supporting veterans organizations through the Veterans Program Trust Fund, which has granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to partners like Honor Flight Bluegrass, Honor Flight Kentucky, the Louisville chapter of the National Association of Black Veterans, and the Homeless Veterans Trust Fund.

To help lift up members of the veteran community who are struggling, Kentucky joined the Governor's Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Their Families.

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2021, the Governor broke ground on a new, nearly $1 billion Louisville VA Medical Center campus, which will provide world-class healthcare for veterans in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

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