South Fayette to honor veterans with military banners next year

South Fayette officials plan to honor veterans from the township by hanging military banners next year.

Community development coordinator Andrea Iglar discussed the idea during this month’s commissioners meeting.

The presentation is available on the township’s website.

“We look forward to being able to recognize the men and women who serve in our military,” she said. “This will be a nice visual reminder of their service.”

The banner program started six years ago in Castle Shannon and has expanded to 41 municipalities in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, said Harry Munson, whose HTM Designs in Castle Shannon prints the banners and maintains a website — troopbanners.com — listing the names and photos of honorees.

The 2-by-3-foot banners usually have the name and photo of the veteran, as well as other information such as military branch, rank or dates served.

Projected cost is $115 per banner and includes installation by public works crews. Families who want their relatives honored would pay for them.

Iglar said the township continues to work with utility companies to use their poles for the banners, and there may be ways to help residents offset some banner expenses.

“I suspect we’re going to get a lot of responses,” she said.

Iglar credited Commissioner Rebecca Sray for bringing the program to the township’s attention.

Sray said she’s traveled through other communities, saw the banners, and thought it would be a good thing for South Fayette to have its own.

“When I was elected as commissioner, I wanted to try to accomplish something to recognize veterans in South Fayette,” said Sray, who is in her first four-year term. “This township is growing so nice now. It will just be a nice addition to everything that’s going on.”

South Fayette Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 586 Cmdr. John James said he likes the initiative, and believes his organization can help drum up support for it.

“I’m sure we’ll find a roster or list of names of (people in) the community who’ve served,” said James, a retired Air Force major. “A lot of guys served and didn’t go overseas, but did their job. Some guys were exposed to danger a lot more than others. Those guys did their job just as much. We definitely want to be a part of it. I think that’s a great thing.”

James also noted the quality of banners he has seen in other communities.

“I don’t see them getting frayed or tattered or anything like that. They look like they are in nice shape,” he said. “I think it would be great for South Fayette.”

More information about the banner program and applications are expected to be available in January.

The goal is to have banners up by Memorial Day and safely stored sometime after Veterans Day.