MOUNT GILEAD — The Williamsport Grange #1815 has announced it will be accepting applications for the 2022 Hometown Hero Veteran Banner project for Morrow County. This is a continuation of the project first announced in 2019.

The banners are designed to pay tribute to the county’s many veterans.

Applications will be accepted in person only on Saturday, April 9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, while supplies last, at the Williamsport Grange #1815 Hall (Congress Township Hall), 6251 County Road 20, Mount Gilead.

Applications will be supplied at the event. They will also be made available in the next few weeks by downloading an application from the Village of Mount Gilead website, the Williamsport Grange #1815 Facebook Page or you can obtain a paper copy at the Veteran Services Office in Mount Gilead.

Please do not mail these to us as they will only be accepted on April 9 at the in-person registration event.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this will be a drive-thru registration event. Sponsors will remain in their cars and volunteers will come to your car for the application. Volunteers will be wearing masks for your safety. We ask that you please wear a mask.

This is a first come, first served basis.

“Barring any unforeseen supply issues the 2022 Veteran Banners will hang along Main Street and High Street in Mount Gilead in time for the July 4th holiday,” said Grange President Donna Carver, “They will remain hanging until after Veterans Day in November. The banners will then be cleaned and stored by the Grange and a date set in the spring for sponsors to pick up their banner to take home.”

The cost of the brackets to hang the banners was covered by a generous donation in 2019 from the Bonecutter Family Trust, with additional donations from Attorney Andrew Wick, Carver and MCJVC Commander Bruce Fissell.

Sponsors can purchase banners to honor veterans who have served in our country’s armed forces. The banners will be two feet wide by four feet long and made of a sturdy vinyl material. Sponsors may nominate veterans who meet the following criteria: The veteran must be honorably discharged, or deceased, must be a graduate of OR have attended a Morrow County High School, OR the Veteran is/was a Morrow County Resident. We will allow applications for Active Duty military this year.

Anyone interested in purchasing a banner must attend the sign-up day and be able to provide the following information:

• The correct spelling of the veteran’s name.

• The veteran’s branch/branches of service.

• When the veteran served (what war, or if during peace time, what years.)

• A quality hard copy on photo paper of the uniformed veteran.

• The sponsor payment is $48. They can accept cash or checks made payable to the Williamsport Grange #1815. Barring any unforeseen issues, Craig Alguire from Photorama Studios will have the capability to accept Credit Cards at the event.

Photos will not be returned to the sponsor. They will be kept and archived by the Williamsport Grange #1815. They do not need any verification of service records.

If you have questions about the Hometown Heroes Veterans Banner Project, call Williamsport Grange President Donna Carver at 419-560-8100.

Hometown Heroes banners will again adorn downtown Mount Gilead. The banners are designed to pay tribute to the county’s many veterans.
https://www.morrowcountysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2022/01/web1_web1_Holtrey-banner-hanging.jpgHometown Heroes banners will again adorn downtown Mount Gilead. The banners are designed to pay tribute to the county’s many veterans. Courtesy photo

Staff Report