When Keith Cain joined the Marine Corps in 1969, he initiated a life of service that would continue for nearly fifty years. Whether it be in service to his country during Vietnam or to his community as Sheriff, according to those he serves, Cain “embodies that of a servant’s heart and a serviceman.”
Sheriff Cain has been with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department since 1974 and has served as Sheriff since 1999. Cain is currently serving his fifth — and what he has announced to be — his final term before entering into retirement. Throughout his tenure, Cain has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including receiving the honor of Sheriff of the Year earlier this year by the National Sheriff’s Association.
While Cain’s dedication to serving and protecting the community has been evident, it is his dedication to the veterans of the community that resonates with so many. Cain’s administrative assistant Heather Rouse said she attributes Cain’s compassion and demeanor to his military service.
“He knows what they’ve been through; he knows their sacrifice,” Rouse said. “That’s one of my favorite parts about this job with him, that he’s so genuine.”
Gold Star parents, Cathy and Tommy Mullins spoke to Cain’s understanding of sacrifice, and how at their son Brandon’s funeral, he presented their family, on behalf of Brandon, an honorary deputy acknowledgment from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department.
“Sheriff Cain is the epitome of service. He has devoted his entire life to serving others,” Cathy Mullins said. “He himself is a Vietnam veteran and he understands the gravity and cost of serving others in both times of war overseas and at home in our communities.”
Rouse and Mullins are not the only ones to acknowledge Cain’s dedication to the community and those who have served their country. Friend and fellow Rotarian, Barbara Poynter, spoke to how fortunate Daviess County was to have a Sheriff that the FBI referred to for training and was on the Executive Board for the United States.
“That’s pretty amazing when you think about it,” Poynter said. “A large part of that is his military service. He served with honor and served well. From that moment forward, his life was about making sure servicemen were honored.”
Honoring servicemen and women is just what he has done. Each time there has been a school Veterans Day program, a military funeral or an Honor Flight send-off for local veterans, barring the unforeseeable, Cain has been present. Not only is he present, but can often be found sharing heartfelt words of appreciation for his fellow servicemen and “band of brothers.”
“He is someone who truly understands the blood of the red, the honor of the white and the field of blue of our flag,” Poynter said. “He embodies that every day.”
Maria Kelly attended the most recent Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. with her father, retired Army veteran Walter Gainey, Jr., as well as Sheriff Cain.
“I just love his humble heart,” Kelly said. “I think that he is a man that puts others before himself without even thinking twice. You can see that he is all in for everything he does and puts forth for our community as well as the veterans.”
Gainey added that his experience on the Honor Flight would have not been possible or the same had Cain not been involved, adding, that Cain “is a great man” and that he is “thankful for his service in Vietnam as well.”
Cain’s son, Jason, said his father’s dedication to service and recognition of the community’s veterans not only influenced his decision to join the military but has impacted his perception of what it means to be a hero.
“If I was just a person off the street, if he wasn’t my dad, I would still say he is one of the most dedicated people to anything veteran-related,” Jason, a U.S. Navy veteran, said. “He puts all of Daviess County first, but he definitely has a spot in his heart for the veterans for sure. He’s my hero and a lot of people’s hero around here.”
