BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Memorial Day isn't until the end of May, but members of the Bowling Green Community Foundation are already hard at work on a new city tradition to honor veterans.
"We view it as a wonderful way to recognize and honor the veterans who served our nation," said Martia Latta, President of the Bowling Green Community Foundation.
The foundation will hang close to 150 veteran banners throughout the city streets beginning this summer.
The service men and women depicted on the banners will either have lived in BG or have family from the area.
The Bowling Green Community Foundation are currently taking applications for veterans people would like to see honored.
Veterans like Steve Arnold say this program will help bring pride to everyone in the community.
"I was asked to help with the committee that put it together. I was extremely pleased. I was glad," said Arnold.
As a veteran, Arnold knows teaching the stories of the hometown heroes will be good history lesson not only for the kids, but the rest of the community as well.
"They were willing to die for what they believed in. It was nice that they were treated with that respect," said Arnold.
He says this program helps show just how many veterans called Bowling Green home.
"I think that people don't realize how many veterans are from Bowling Green, Ohio," said Arnold. "We've got a fairly large contingency of veterans. All you have to do is go and talk to the guys at the veterans service center and they'll tell ya, we got a lot of veterans in this area."
The banners program is also aimed at inspiring people to have pride in their country. Arnold hopes it spreads this spirit of unity. From one generation to the next.
"You have to have served to be a veteran and we've got people serving now," said Arnold. "They will be veterans and they will be carrying around that legacy that my generation and past generations have left," said Arnold.
The Bowling Green Community Foundation will be taking veteran banner applications until April. Click here for information on how you can submit an application.
The Bowling Green Community Foundation is a non-profit group whose mission it is to improve the quality of life in the Bowling Green area, according to their website.
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