I have been researching the service of John H. Long, an I Company 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division man, Killed In Action in 1945. His son recently alerted me to a program in Pittsburgh, PA and surrounding communities. This is the Troop Banner program which honors soldiers, sailors, and Marines from any conflict. He said,
The MILITARY BANNER program is sponsored by the VFW. A family who wishes to give tribute to a special veteran provides a photo of the veteran and a fee of $80.00 to the VFW, they then prepare a vinyl 3×2 foot banner that is put onto a frame and displayed on each utility pole from Memorial Day until Veterans Day it is then taken down and stored by the municipality and the put back up for the entire summer. Presently the banners stretch for miles and miles hundreds of them continue through different municipalities.
I did a little research on this program and many communities are now taking banner orders. You can learn which communities already participate at Troop Banners. There are also several articles online about the banners, one of which was written this year for Pleasant Hills.
This is just one resource you might be able to tap into to locate photographs of soldiers, sailors, and Marines you are researching for World War II. And perhaps you can participate and purchase a banner for your serviceman or woman.
© 2015 Jennifer Holik
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