EASTON, MD - The town of Easton spent the day celebrating its local heroes as part of the "Hometown Heroes" initiative, with banners of veterans and first responders displayed throughout the community. Crews worked diligently all morning, mounting banners on telephone poles along Glenwood Avenue in honor of the town’s service members.
“This is an honor. It’s a privilege to have my pictures hung up amongst the other veterans who paved their way through Easton,” said William Griffin, commander of the Easton American Legion Post 77 and a Cold War veteran.
As the banners were hoisted, veterans and their families stood in silent reflection. Among them was Griffin, who watched his own tribute banner placed alongside one honoring his late brother.
“My brother, he’s deceased now, but I sponsored him, and he’ll be hanging right beside me as a veteran. Just because he’s not here right now doesn’t mean he's not with me,” said Griffin.
The first banners hung were those of the founders of Easton’s American Legion Post 77. Vietnam veteran Jerry Newman was among those commemorated, reflecting on the legacy of those who came before him.
“The ones that I was watching first, I loved watching them go up because—because of them, I’m going up because I followed in their footsteps,” Newman said.
Norene Wilson, a Cold War veteran, expressed hope that the initiative would help bring history to life for the younger generation.
“Versus reading what they read in school in history books, they’ll actually see faces that walk around every day in their area to see that ‘Oh, they did do some military time, and they are here, and they’re still here,’” said Wilson.
To date, 39 banners have been purchased, with plans to install the remaining tributes in the coming weeks. Joan Brooks, the initiative's organizer, is calling for more community members to participate, extending the honor to veterans and first responders alike.
“So, you could be a firefighter, you could be a police officer. You know, hometown heroes are those who served in some capacity,” said Brooks.
This display of “hanging history” aims to be just the beginning, as the project seeks to honor as many Easton veterans and first responders as possible in the future.
Each banner costs around $200.
