Councilman Looks To Bring Hometown Heroes Banners To Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City Councilman Keith Hartzell was recently driving through the small town of Frackville, Pa. when he was struck by the number of banners depicting the town’s “Hometown Heroes.”

“I was going to an appointment and I noticed these banners,” Hartzell said. “They were everywhere. In a town of 4,000 people, there were over 300 banners. I was so taken by it.”

The banners depict military veterans who lived in the town at some point before, during or after their service.

In Frackville, the Hometown Heroes idea came from Councilman Paul R. Martin Sr., a member of the local American Legion, according to the Republican Herald. The banners include a picture of the hero, their rank, branch of service, service era and sponsor. They are 24x48 inches. Sponsors pay $200 for a banner and must provide proof of military service.

Hartzell drew comparisons between towns Frackville, and Ocean City.

“This is a little town in upstate Pennsylvania, and they’re very patriotic,” Hartzell said. “Ocean City is a small town most of the year. The amount of people we get for Memorial Day and Veterans Day is through the roof.”

He said the emphasis on patriotism has grown with every administration he’s worked with since coming to council.

So he took a picture of one of the banners he saw in Frackville and sent it to Business Administrator Jim Mallon to see if it is something that could be done locally. He said the administration is currently putting together a committee to look into putting together a local program.

“The reaction’s been phenomenal,” Hartzell said. “ … I’ve shown them to a number of vets and I’ve gotten tremendous input.”

Other towns participate in the program as well, including Lansdale, Pa. and Topeka, Kansas, among others. Each town does it differently.

Hartzell wants local veterans to play a pivotal role in putting the banners together, as they have in other towns. He also wants residents to feel pride in and take ownership of the banners.

“I want people to be invested in them,” he said.

He said the city still has to figure out where they would put them, what they would cost and what the residency requirements would be to be put on a banner, among other issues.

He envisions each banner lasting about two or three years before needing to be replaced. The goal is for Ocean City to honor its veterans. That’s a notion that lasts a lifetime.