Hometown Heroes Blue Star Banners

Hometown Heroes

Blue Star Banners

By Cathy Shouse | Photos provided by The City of Fort Wayne If someone mentions that they are in the military, it is not unusual for others to thank them for their service. The City of Fort Wayne has taken that sentiment up another level, or five. Its Blue Star Banner program honors individuals from the area who are actively serving and have been sent overseas, singling them out for special recognition.

Karen Richards, community liaison and the person in charge of special programs for Mayor Tom Henry, heads up the Blue Star Banner program. Photos of military personnel, in addition to brief descriptions of the branch they serve in and other pertinent information, are put together. Banners are created and attached to light poles so that passersby can enjoy them. The banners are a unique way for community members to be reminded of the sacrifices service members make and to hold those serving the country in their thoughts.

“In 2014, Mayor Henry introduced the program,” Richards said. “I believe he saw banners up in small towns and wanted to bring them to Fort Wayne. He knew it would be different to bring them to the second largest city in Indiana.”

One challenge that presented itself is that there are festivals in the city nearly every weekend. The festivals all have banners that are put up on poles, too. But the blue banners were given a unique location and a system was put in place. Richards said that since it began, about 100 banners had been created and put on display.

Mayor Henry served in the army and that was one reason he championed the banners program, which has recognized several government employees who served overseas, as well. The City pays for the banners, and there is no cost to those who are honored. The City also puts the banners up and takes them down when the person is no longer serving overseas.

“The mayor said to us, ‘I know you can do this,’ and we did,” Richards said.

A person may be honored if he or she is from the Fort Wayne area, meaning that they went to high school or college in Fort Wayne. Also, if a service member is married, putting up a banner must be approved through their spouse. Often, if someone is single, their grandparents or their parents will fill out a form to request the banner be put up for their loved one. Once the person’s form has been received and approved, their photo and information are put together and submitted to a printer. Banners are made of vinyl to hold up to the severe weather Indiana sometimes brings.

An exception was made for one group that has a banner. The 122nd Fighter Wing, Indiana National Guard, is located at the Fort Wayne International Airport.

“We just put one up to recognize the 122nd. That one goes up every time. We try to get them up, weather allowing, in May and we take them down around Veterans Day,” Richards said.

Currently, there are about ten banners lined up that can be seen going east along West Jefferson Boulevard to Swinney Park. Richards said the program would like to hear from more people and put up more banners. When the person is no longer serving overseas, the banner is given to the family. Some have used the banner at home for the coming home celebration.

Families who have been recognized are grateful. “We’ve put up banners for people who have served all over, including Africa, Greece, Iraq and Iran, or sometimes they will say ‘unknown,’” Richards said. “Most recently, a banner was put up for a serviceman serving in Ukraine. One woman whose loved one was honored called in and left us a message, ‘Please tell Mayor Henry how much we appreciate him.’”a