It was born from tragedy but has morphed into an enduring tribute of honor for our nation’s veterans.
This Veteran’s Day, more than 17,000 military banners commemorating the service of men and women from Western Pennsylvania who have served in the Armed Forces are on display in towns ranging north to Butler, south into Washington County, east to Westmoreland County and west to Sewickley.
They stretch 26 miles along Route 88 alone. In Carnegie they line both sides of Main Street. In Crafton they wave on tree-lined residential streets.
The banners are straightforward in design: a weather-resistant vinyl flag shows a photograph of a veteran along dates of service and, if applicable, medals of honor awards and the conflict in which the veteran served.
This massive and growing show of support for our region’s veterans began with just one banner in Castle Shannon.
The death in Afghanistan in 2009 of Marine Sgt. Ryan Lane, son of the former Castle Shannon police Chief Harold Lane, cut a chasm of grief through his family and the community.
Harry Munson, who with his wife Tami runs HTM Designs in Castle Shannon, shared the sense of loss with the Lane family. Mr. Munson’s son, Harry Munson, was a close friend of Ryan, and had followed him into the military, joining the Marines.
Mr. Munson, a graphic designer, decided to create a banner in honor of Sgt. Lane.
“I was very impressed when I saw the banner, and felt it was a great show of respect and honor for Ryan,” Harold Lane said.
Mr. Lane and the Munsons then created a website listing all of the veterans from Castle Shannon, a South Hills suburb of about 8,000 located just outside of Downtown.
Soon Mr. Munson was fielding calls about creating more banners.
He developed a standard design that would feature the picture of the veteran and basic biographical information about their service, but it was the photographs of the veterans that connected with people.
Scott resident Michael Buzzelli said he jumped out of his car to take a picture when he saw the banner in Scott Park created for his father, Michael Buzzelli, who served in the army during the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the subsequent Cuban Missile Crisis.
Mr. Buzzelli said the banner immediately rekindled memories of his father.
“It is a great way to commemorate veterans. What a nice thing to do. The banners are a way to beautify the community and honor the past,” he said.
Tami Munson said she is still awe-struck when she sees the hundreds of banners lining Route 88, as well as numerous streets throughout the Steel Valley.
While planning banners for Route 88 Harry Munson said he was concerned about receiving clearance from the state since it is a state road.
“State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, cut right through the red tape in a couple of days,” Mr. Munson said.
Similarly, permission is sought from various utility companies and municipalities for the banner program. The banners are typically attached to light poles and are put up each year in time for Memorial Day by a variety of volunteer organizations. In some municipalities, the Public Works Department does the work. In smaller towns, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts may work on the banners. In Evans City, the mayor himself climbs a ladder each year to put up banners, Mr. Munson said.
The banners usually come down after Veterans Day - this year that celebration is Sunday - to make way for holiday decorations. But some communities leave them up all year.
“When you talk to the families, the pride comes through. People have a lot of pride in the military service of their family members,’’ Mr. Munson said.
The banners range from $50 up to $100, depending on size, to cover the cost of material and processing. A photo of the veteran is needed and Mr. Munson can work to upgrade faded and poor-quality photos. The name of the veteran is then added to the www.TroopBanner.com website, along with a photo and town where the banner is displayed.
You don’t have to be a family member to request a banner as long as you have documentation to support that they were in the service.
Many towns have applications for banners available at their municipal buildings or on their websites.
“We’re the grunts. We just do the work to commemorate the veterans. The ones who are on the banners deserve the credit,” he said.
Not only are the banners evoking a greater sense of patriotism and respect for veterans, but they are also helping to create an enhanced spirit of community.
“It’s a program that can change the entire perception of a town. It brings out a common basis for everyone to join together,” Mr. Munson said.
The program is growing beyond the borders of Pennsylvania. Tami Munson said banners are appearing in towns in West Virginia, Ohio, and as far away as Alabama.
“Before an Alabama community displayed the banners, the people decided to have a major clean-up of all the litter in town with everyone working together,” Mr. Munson said.
And there are also similar independent banner programs. The borough of Irwin, for example, honors its local veterans with banners lining the streets of its business district.
For his part Harold Lane said he would like to see such banner program go nationwide.
“It is a great show of honor and respect,” he said.
For more information, visit www.troopbanners.com/
Bob Podurgiel, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com
First Published: November 8, 2018, 5:08 p.m.