Veterans Honored along Memorial Parkway with banners in Utica

Veterans Honored along Memorial Parkway with banners in Utica

Banners hung along Utica’s Memorial Parkway will honor veterans through a partnership between local veterans' groups.

Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri announced the Hometown Heroes Banner Program outside the Parkway Recreation Center on Tuesday afternoon. The program partners include the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 480, the Oneida Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 944.

The banners will honor veterans, living and deceased, who have served in the United States military. They will be located along the Memorial Parkway between Genesee Street and Mohawk Valley Community College through Veterans Day.

“We can never do enough to honor our veterans,” Palmieri said in a statement. “ … This initiative is a great way for families and friends to express their appreciation for a loved one who has served our country.”

Residents can honor a veteran by submitting a photo and indicating the branch they served and their years of service. The banners, which are 60 inches by 30 inches and cost $110, will be made on a first come, first serve basis due to limited supplies, with a preference for veterans from Utica. Donations will be accepted to cover the $65 cost of the hanging hardware.

“This program is going to honor our veterans with these banners throughout the Memorial Parkway and maybe beyond,” Tom Buono, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 944 said. “ … On behalf of the veterans, thank you.”

Submissions are accepted online through uticahometownheroes.com, including payment.

The Hometown Heroes Banner Program is supported by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, the Utica Comets and Harley-Davidson of Utica.

Source: https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/local/2022/03/23/utica-memorial-parkway-banners-honor-veterans/7132712001/