Edmund ShelbyEDMUND SHELBY was born and raised in Corbin, Kentucky-in many ways a typically American small town. Growing up, he was influenced by the people of the town and by the news. In fact, he was a newspaper delivery boy. This experience and being on the stff of the high school newspaper led him to choose journalism as a career. The news of the day informed him of world events, including the happenings in a distant land called Vietnam. By his senior year in high school, Shelby knew who the major players were in Vietnam, and he'd heard about the buildup of American military forces there.He and his best friend visited the Marine recruiter's office, but the recruiter was out. They then went to the Army recruiter who told them he knew their parents and was not going to be a part of sending them to Vietnam. He suggested they see the Air Force recruiter, which they did, and they successfully entered the service in May of 1967. While in the Air Force, Shelby turned against the war. He could see what it was doing to the United States. He did not go to Vietnam, but instead served his overseas duty in Turkey. After leaving the Air Force, Shelby met his wife-to-be and went to college, graduating in 1975, just before the fall of Saigon.He spent his first three years as a working journalist in Hazard, Kentucky, before he, his wife and their son moved to Lexington, so she could earn her master's degree from the University of Kentucky. He took a job in public information for state government, working there until the GTE Corporation offered him a better paying position.In 1992 the family moved to a rural home in Clay County, Kentucky, where he taught at a private school. While teaching, Shelby received the offer of another job in the newspaper business. He practiced journalism for several more years in Beattyville, Jackson and Manchester, Kentucky. Duringthose years, he received numerous awards from the Kentucky Press Association (KPA) and served as president of KPA in 2009.Shelby, now retired, is still living in Clay County with his wife and their four dogs. Read More Read Less
