Veterans Dept. unveils new ‘Heroes’ banners
By Jay Turner
New ‘Hometown Heroes’ banners line Washington St. in the downtown area. (Jay Turner photo)
Continuing a proud Canton tradition of honoring the service and sacrifice of local military members and veterans, the Canton Veterans Services Dept. unveiled a sharp new set of ‘Hometown Heroes’ banners throughout the downtown area last week.
Just in time for Independence Day, the banners have been installed on light posts throughout Canton Center, each depicting one of the town’s 77 fallen heroes who were killed in action or died in uniform during wartime.
Introduced on Friday by Veterans Agent Arafat Knight in a brief ceremony outside the Veterans Department offices, the new banners echo the 77 memorial street signs that were installed by Knight’s predecessor, the late Tony Andreotti, who dedicated the last two decades of his life to ensuring — through a combination of monuments, ceremonies, and a well-organized public relations effort — that the sacrifice and bravery of these men and women would never be forgotten.
“Today I have the honor and privilege of representing the veterans in the town of Canton as we reveal these banners in honor of our service members throughout the community who have given their all in sacrifice to this country,” remarked Knight, a Marine Corps veteran himself, at last week’s dedication ceremony. “This is something I take a lot of pride in, knowing that I’m actually helping to improve on what’s already been done. This community has always gone out of its way to recognize and support our veterans, and this is another way where we can continue to do that.”
Knight explained that the banner project will be an ongoing one, commencing with the town’s fallen heroes but soon expanding to include any Canton military member, active or veteran, living or dead, whose family chooses to honor them in this way.
“This is a program that’s going to be opened up to everyone in the community starting in August,” Knight explained, adding that an order form for new banners will be rolled out soon. The fee charged to families will cover the cost of producing the street banners and replacement banners if needed. Depending on the level of interest, Knight expects the next batch of tribute banners to be installed later this summer, with more going up in November.
“I’ll be publishing the forms in the newspaper, or you will be able to contact me directly and I will gladly get these signs made up in honor of your loved ones, whether they are alive or still serving,” he said. “This is all about making sure we as a community take care of our hometown heroes and we recognize them in a way that people can learn who they are and never forget them.”
Select Board member John Connolly, a lifelong resident and vocal supporter of Canton’s veterans, raved about the new banners and offered effusive praise to Knight for his efforts in getting the project off the ground.
“They look beautiful,” Connolly said of the banners, “and it’s fantastic to remember our hometown heroes … It makes you think we are here today because of folks like these [77 servicemen and women], from the Civil War to the Iraq conflict, who gave everything.”
“So on behalf of the board and behalf of the town and on behalf of the veterans, thank you for all you do,” Connolly told Knight. “And Godspeed to everybody. Again, we are here to help, and we appreciate this more than you know.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=114855
Posted by Jay Turner
on Jun 30 2023. Filed under News, Town Government.
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