American Legion Post 4 in Overton County encouraging residents to provide photographs of fallen service members to expand the Hometown Heroes banner project in Livingston.
Post Commander Ken Werner said the initiative aims to memorialize soldiers from the county who were killed in action by displaying their portraits on the town square. The project specifically seeks images of veterans born in Overton County who died in service, along with their branch of service and the years or conflict in which they served.
“It’s a way, you know, as a visitor coming to coming to Overton County and sees those banners, it’s a way of them saying, ‘Wow, this this county and this community really cares about their veterans and their fallen veterans,’ and this is a great way of honoring them,” Werner said.
Werner said the banners are displayed on the square for several weeks surrounding Memorial Day and Veterans Day each year. Werner said the committee expanded the eligibility criteria beyond the names listed on the local monument to include any service member born in the county who was killed in action. Werner said there is no charge to the families for the banners.
“If you’re a family member and you’re asked to produce a picture or remember a fallen brother, father, whatever, they they might still be grieving and we we as a community do not want the family to be burdened with the cost of a of a banner just to honor their family member,” Werner said.
Werner said local merchants have donated funds to ensure there is no financial cost to the families of the fallen. Werner said these donations are held at American Bank to defray the expenses of creating and maintaining the banners.
“I’ve got a great saying that I take from Toby Keith, God rest his soul,” Werner said. “He always he always said in every one of his concerts, ‘Do not be ashamed of being patriotic. Do not be embarrassed by being patriotic,’ because when you as a as a community fail to see the sacrifices that soldiers and service members have made throughout the the ages, then you’ve then you’ve lost touch with reality, I think.”
Werner said the project was spearheaded by Don Burnett and involves collaboration between the American Legion and the VFW. Werner said the committee is currently struggling to find additional family members who possess the necessary photos or memorabilia to honor more heroes.
“I just we need there’s more members there’s more residents out there that have family members from Overton County that have died that have been killed in action, and they need to step up,” Werner said.
Werner said the project serves as a visible reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by local residents throughout various wars.
Families with information or photos are encouraged to contact the American Legion or the VFW to participate.
