Rockford salutes Coosa’s veterans with banner program
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Sample banner
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
The Town of Rockford is honoring and saluting Coosa County’s veterans with an opportunity for individuals to purchase banners to be displayed at a summer event and for years to come.
The banner program is for past and present military heroes, including living or deceased veterans, those currently serving and wartime or peacetime veterans. All veterans are eligible to be recognized, whether they served a few years or an entire military career.
The double-sided vinyl banners are 2-feet wide by 4-feet high and will be displayed on the fence around the town’s playground.
Banners will be officially unveiled at a town event this summer, and they will stay on display through the season and be rehung each summer, according to the town. Rockford also plans to display the banners at its annual veterans’ luncheon in November.
The cost is $120 per banner, and included information is the veteran’s name, photo, rank, military branch, dates of service, any prestigious medals or other information, and whether the veteran was a Prisoner of War, Missing in Action, Killed in Action, or Died in Service.
Those sponsoring each banner can fill out a form, include a photo of the veteran and provide the town with a copy of their DD-214 or discharge papers if available.
The deadline for turning orders in at Town Hall is today, May 8. Those wishing to purchase banners may also do so through Sunday, but will need to get their order form, photo and payment to Councilmember Lynn Anne Castleberry directly since Town Hall will be closed over the weekend.
Those who miss the deadline can still order with the town after that, but there is a minimum requirement of 10 banners per order. This means that the town is unable to order with the company making the banners until it has accumulated another order of 10 at a time.
Order forms are available at Town Hall and can be turned in there or submitted via email to RockfordVeteransBanners@gmail.com. Payment can be made via cash or check made payable to Rockford Holiday Market and notated for “Veteran Banner” on the check’s memo line.
The town is striving to start this program for its “America 250 Celebration” in recognition of the United States’ semiquincentennial, honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence.
Rockford’s event will be held Saturday, June 27, in town and will include the unveiling of the banners at that time. However, the town looks forward to continuing the banners for years to come, as well.
For more information on Rockford’s veteran banner program, call or text Councilmember Castleberry at 813-363-0495, email RockfordVeteransBanners@gmail.com, or visit Town Hall.
