In the town of Hadley, Massachusetts, dozens of vinyl military tribute banners have been hung on utility poles just in time for Memorial Day.
The largest feature of the banners are photos of veterans, active duty personnel, reservists and National Guard members who've in some way served the country — in times of war and peace.
Most of the men and a few women appear in uniform. Some pictures are black and white, others are colorized and some appear to have been taken recently.
Eighty-two military tribute banners are now are up on utility poles in Hadley until Veterans Day, in historic parts of town and along Russell Road, which is the state's Route 9.
"The conception was you had to be deceased to be able to be on a banner," said Hadley resident Pam Hague. "And we tried to tell them, 'No, you don't.'"
Hague is among a group of Hadley residents who wanted to recognize all those who've served their country in some way — and who've lived in town at least four years of their lives.
"I saw these banners up one day in a town in New Hampshire, and I'm like, 'Oh, those are really nice.' And then I saw them in Belchertown and they're in Easthampton as well," she said.
The banners list the service member’s branch, as well as what war they fought in or where they were located: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Beirut, Grenada and others.
Hague said it was easy enough to get the town to agree to the banner tribute. It was a bit more challenging to get families, friends and veterans themselves interested.
Some of that was getting the word out. Some was a sense among veterans of not "needing to be recognized."
"That's the make of a veteran," Hague said. "They just don't feel they need that recognition. It's humbling to have their banners up."
The first banner made was of Hague's mother-in-law, Agnes Banash, a nurse during World War II. She was 100 when she died a few years ago and was part of the reason Hague began the banner project.
'A lot of sacrifice'
In North Hadley, the banner of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Austin Boisvert hangs at the intersection right next to the North Hadley Sugar Shack. That’s her family’s business.
She's 21 years old. Her mother, Shelley Boisvert, is on the banner committee, and said the community should know more about who served their country or is currently serving.
"People that may be their next-door neighbor or somebody that they know and talk to, but didn't realize they were in the military, that [make] a lot of sacrifices. And I'm new to that military family — a lot of sacrifice. And as you can see, I'm sorry," Shelley Boisvert said, choking up. "They're away from home — a lot."
'Almost invisible to us'
Steve Connor, the director of Central Hampshire Veterans Services, said it's not always obvious to many in the community that a neighbor is in the military — especially in western Massachusetts.
"They're more scattered," he said. "They come home, they go back to their house, some of them get redeployed, and it's all almost invisible to us," Connor said.
Even with Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Connor said military families around in the region can feel isolated. At Memorial Day events, he suggested people strike up a conversation with others in attendance — more than "thank you for your service."
"[You can] say, 'Hey, you grew up on the street from us.' Just have conversations because I think the the individuals who serve and their families sometimes feel very alone," Connor said.
'Get them up while I'm still alive'
A few weeks ago on a Sunday, before the banners were hung, all 82 of them were brought together in one place for families and the public to see. They ate hot dogs and potato chips. It was packed, said Hadley resident Gerry Devine, who is also on the banner committee.
Devine sponsored a couple of banners — for a cousin who fought in Afghanistan and another in World War II.
"There's a tremendous amount of old Hadley names there and different generations that were in the service," he said. "People in Hadley tend to continue to live in the small community that they grew up in."
Hadley is a relatively small community, with a population of about 5,000. Devine said even he was surprised he didn't know the father of the school's longtime music teacher had been in the Navy and killed in action in World War II .
The town’s two oldest veterans were also at the recent event.
Stanley Fil is an active 103 years old, Devine said. And Helen Baj is 100.
"And I said [to Baj], 'Now you're going to be up ... there somewhere,'" Devine said. "And she goes, 'Well, hurry up and get them up while I'm still alive.'"
Since the gathering, many people have been asking how they could sponsor a banner. Devine said he’s told them, next year there could be as many banners as there are poles.
This year, seven banners are of veterans killed in action. The committee waived the $150 banner fee for these Gold Star families, Hague said, and she believes there are more than than this small number.
The Gold Star banners were the last to be hung — along Route 9 — with the first one on a utility pole at the Hadley American Legion Post 271, the start of the town's annual Memorial Day parade.
