RETIRED BANNER – A banner honoring Army Air Force Staff Sgt. Donald W. “Bill” Crossley was among more than 250 banners honoring local military veterans that have flown over many city streets since 2021. Leaders of the Brooke County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation have announced that they will be retired and distributed to family members and others who sponsored them. – Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — The many banners across Wellsburg’s streets honoring military veterans will be removed and returned to family members and others who sponsored them.

Janice McFadden, president of the Brooke County Veterans Memorial Foundation, said the banners have flown year-round for at least two years and are showing their age.

She said that, working with city staff, they will be removed from the streetlights and other fixtures on which they hung and distributed to family members and other sponsors.

McFadden said the group has records it can use to contact sponsors, but anyone with questions is welcome to call them at Brooke Hills Park, where they are kept.

She is also the manager of Brooke Hills Park, where the Brooke County Veterans Memorial Park is located. She can be reached at (304) 737-1236.

McFadden said when the Hometown Heroes, a group affiliated with the foundation, sought sponsors for the banners, plans were made to retire them after two years.

Since then they have flown in all weathers and some have fallen from their mounts and the group lacks the resources and personnel to replace them.

Since local funeral director Eric Fithyan was involved in the effort, some fallen banners were brought to Chambers Funeral Home and presented to the foundation.

Anyone who has found a banner that does not belong to them is asked to call the number above.

Hometown Heroes’ efforts resulted in more than 250 banners featuring the names and photos of servicemen and women who served in the Middle East from World War I to more recent conflicts.