St. C. veterans banner project to launch with New Year 2021
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The faces of area veterans will again adorn lamp posts throughout the city as the Noon Rotary Club launches its second annual veterans banner display at the opening of 2021.
Rotarian Kirke Porterfield, who is helping spearhead the project, said the first display at the start of this year was a success and the banners from last year will go back up with no additional expense.
"It's $100, and that's it until the banners deteriorate and we have to replace them," he said, adding the Rotary club is taking orders for new banners to put on display in downtown St. Clairsville.
The banners will go up after Jan. 1.
"If you purchased a banner last year, it will be put up for display just like last year. There's nothing you have to do. If you want to purchase a new banner of your veteran, take a picture of your veteran to Jenkins Sporting Goods in downtown St. Clairsville. All we need is their picture, name, branch they've served in and a check made out to the Rotary Club of St. Clairsville or cash, for $100, and Jenkins Sporting Goods will take care of the rest," Porterfield said.
For more information, call Porterfield at 740-391-7263. For details of the picture, call Jenkins Sporting Goods at 740-695-9300.
Porterfield said veterans and their friends and families are also able to drop their information and money off athis businesses, Porterfield's Drive Thru Farm and Garden or Kirke's Homemade Ice Cream at 50505 Rehm Road, St. Clairsville.
He said for those who are not able to cover the cost of a banner, the Rotary club has some funding set aside to help.
Porterfield said there are more than 100 banners from the display at the start of 2020, and about 50 spaces available.
The club will also continue a program in cooperation with Belmont County TourismCouncil to provide extra information online about veterans featured on the banners.
"You can record a story about your veteran, and it'll be on Belmont County Tourism's website," Porterfield said, adding a QR code will be on the banners and people will be able to download the code, which will take them to the tourism website to listen to the veteran's story.
A QR code is a type of matrix-based barcode that can be scanned with digital devices, such as a cellphone.
Belmont County Western Division Court Judge Eric Costine has agreed to voice the audio recordings if the veteran or family members prefer not to do so themselves.
Among the participating veterans is former St. Clairsville mayor Robert Vincenzo, who served in the U.S. Army signal corps 1952-54. He commends his fellow rotarians for the project.
"I think it's awesome, I really do. I think it's so great, giving the respect to the veterans for all the service that they have provided for the country," Vincenzo said. "I know there are a lot of veterans who have gone through a whole lot worse than I could ever imagine. I have some friends that I lost in the Korean War and the sacrifice that they've made, you can't put enough words into all they've sacrificed."
Vincenzo recalled seeing the street lined with faces of fellow veterans from their years of service.
"It's very revealing," he said. "It sort of brings back memories. ... It's a feeling of maybe fulfillment."
"It sure does make you feel proud that you served in your country, and I know that feeling is there with every one of the person's pictures there being displayed. It's a great feeling of honor by every person. Words can't describe that feeling. It's special, very special."
Bruce Henderson of the St. Clairsville area served in the U.S. Navy from 1945-46. He is also enthused about the project.
"That's a great idea," he said. "I enjoyed that."
"When Kirke called and said they were doing it, we thought it would be nice to let people see the different veterans and be able to honor all the different ones that have served their country," Karen Fraleigh, Henderson's daughter, said. "I think it really does a lot for the town to see all of that. To be able to talk to some families about it."