Lansing banners to honor veterans

Jan. 18—LANSING — A few years ago, Lansing Mayor Patty Eidam and her husband were driving through southwest Michigan and noticed banners in the small towns honoring local veterans.

That got her thinking.

"We thought Lansing would be an ideal place for such a program," Eidam said, noting the veterans memorial at Lansing Municipal Airport and the village's thriving American Legion post.

"Veterans in Lansing are valued in the highest regard," she added.

Now, an initiative is being launched to honor current and former Lansing residents who served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard or National Guard.

Like a similar project that displays banners honoring vets in downtown Highland, the Lansing Hometown Hero Banner Program is accepting applications for banner honorees until Jan. 31.

The cost to sponsor a banner is $150, and they will be displayed this year and next from around Memorial Day through Veterans Day on major thoroughfares in town.

Eidam is a veteran herself and comes from a military family, with three brothers, her father, father-in-law and son all having served in the armed forces. She, her son and father-in-law all plan to be represented on banners.

Those are among the 63 banners already reserved as of last week. The process of getting the project off the ground was, like so many other things, disrupted by COVID-19.

"It was like three weeks before the pandemic hit," Eidam said of the banner drive's launch. "It's been a handicap for so many other things, including this program.

"It's still going to be successful."

Word of mouth seems to be spreading the news, she believes.

A 90-year-old Korean War veteran recently signed up, as did two families other than Eidam's who have pledged to sponsor three banners each.

"Just in the last couple of days, we've had a lot more interest," Eidam said.

Applications are available online at www.villageoflansing.org or at Lansing Municipal Center, 3141 Ridge Road. More information is available at 708-895-7208.

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