Oldham County native and World War II veteran Dr. E. Bruce Heilman (1926-2019) became known for long motorcycle rides undertaken to honor veterans and Gold Star families. At age 86, he circled the lower 48 states on his Marine issue Harley, traveling 9,200 miles to bring recognition to World War II veterans. On his 88th birthday, he rode from Richmond, Virginia to Alaska, and on his 90th birthday in 2016 he rode from Richmond to the west coast to celebrate Gold Star families. Heilman was the spokesperson for the Greatest Generation Foundation, which pays tribute to the 16,000,000 veterans, living and dead, of World War II. He fought in the Battle of Okinawa and was among the first troops to land on the beaches of Japan after the nuclear bombs hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the years he traveled widely, giving speeches and inspiring youth groups about the sacrifices of World War II veterans in winning the war and preserving democracy. Using the G.I. Bill, he earned a college degree from Campbellsville College, later became president of the University of Richmond, and served as chancellor until his death. In 2002, the Oldham County History Center began recording World War II veterans in partnership with the Library of Congress, and those interviews are now digitized online with the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries; the center also preserves a collection of artifacts from local World War II veterans that tell the story of their service.