By Kathleen Knowles
Answers Your Questions!
Week 8
If you have been following Blue Water Healthy Living, you are familiar with the Blue Water Fallen Heroes Community Banner Project. The program was conceived to recognize and honor over 550 military service members from Saint Clair County killed in action from World War I to the current conflicts. These banners will include the service member’s picture, branch of service, their rank, the conflict they were involved in, and the city, town or village they resided. The banners will be displayed the week of Memorial Day and the week after in the cities and towns where the hero lived. The target date is 2021.
Those of you who have not heard of the program or simply want to know more about it will now be provided with a forum in which to ask questions. We will be accepting your questions which will then be answered directly by those involved in the project.
Your Questions From Last Week:
Q: Who is charged with deciding the position of each banner in each community?
A: We are not sure what you mean by ‘position’. Each local municipality, township, and village governing agency will have the choice of where to display the banners that best represent the sacrifice of their respective community/township/village. In some cases, the ownership of utility poles may have an edict that prevents any posting on those poles. It is not uncommon.
Q: Is there a chance of printing a book of pictures of the banners as a collection?
A: Truth be told, there is a part two to this project that we didn’t see coming as we planned the Banner Project. We have been scanning, photographing, and audio recording stories, artifacts, documents of these brave men and women as each is presented to us. Our primary goal is to the banners. We are compelled to do this part of the project first, then we’ll take a look at the production of a book (print or digital). It should also be taken into consideration that current funding of the banners is contractual in that there is no inclusion in our contract with the St Clair County Community Foundation to include any publication. We are sensitive to the soundness of your suggestion in that, if these stories are not documented now, it may never happen.
Q: Aren’t you concerned these banners will be a distraction for drivers as they pass through downtown?
A: They aren’t any more of a distraction than what is currently displayed. We anticipate that many will ‘come home’ to see the faces of relatives when the Banners are first displayed. The urge to ‘walk’ the streets or parks (display areas) overdoing a ‘drive-by’ will be overwhelming.
Q: Can a banner still be printed if no picture can be located?
A: Yes, a banner can still be printed without an image. In other communities, the seal of the branch of service is used in lieu of a photo. Our position is that this denies identity to that GI, It may come down to the choice of the family (as it should be) to use the seal. Currently, ERNST CAMERA SHOPPE is assisting us in bringing back old damaged photos as their contribution to the project. We are reluctant to overload this act of kindness by using old newspaper photos which lack clarity when enlarged to three feet in height.
Q: Have you considered printing a certificate for the families since they can’t keep the banners?
A: There has been consideration of a miniaturized photo of a Banner being presented to the family, but nothing as of yet is finalized. Many, many families we have spoken with just want to have their picture taken with their family member’s banner.
Q: Can families from other states provide a photo of a serviceman if he resided in the county?
A: By all means. We do ask that they do NOT send it via email as the typical home scanner will only perform at a low resolution which will not support a higher quality enlargement. We would just ask that they send the photo (Certified mail, return receipt) to The ST CLAIR COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, 200 Grand River Ave, Suite 104, Port Huron, MI 48060, Attn: Nancy. The photo will be mailed back to the sender within 24 hours, certified mail, return receipt.
Please help us locate photos of these many sacrifices. If you know of anyone who died while in service of their country from World War I to the current conflicts, please contact us at the hotline below so that we may honor their service and sacrifice.
Our hotline is (810) 985-2007.
Also:
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us? Send it to the email address below and we will see that you get an answer. Check back to Blue Water Healthy Living for the answer to your question.
ksknowles1@gmail.com
Kathleen Knowles
Contributing Writer
