Banners on display throughout Yorktown honor fallen service members this Memorial Day weekend

The faces of soldiers who lost their lives at war are flying high in the community this weekend as part of the Military Banner Tribute which is in its second year.

News 12 Staff

May 30, 2021, 4:24 PM

Updated 1,196 days ago

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The wet weather did not stop Yorktown from moving forward with its Memorial Day tributes this weekend.
Yorktown American Legion remembers the sacrifices of fallen soldiers every day, but on Memorial Day weekend, the remembrance was front and center.
"This is the way to honor them. Yes, we have barbecues and stuff, but it's a great time to take some time for reflection for those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can all be free today," said Jay Gussak, of the Sons of the American Legion.
The faces of soldiers who lost their lives at war are flying high in the community this weekend as part of the Military Banner Tribute which is in its second year.
"It's amazing to be able to bring that because each banner tells a short story when you see it and it leaves you wanting to know, 'hey, I'd like to find out about that,'" said the Legion's Ed Lchterman.
Families and local businesses were able to purchase a banner through the American Legion, which introduced the tribute in 2019 as a way to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Yorktown Town Supervisor Matt Slater, whose grandfather is featured on one of the banners, said the tributes serve as powerful reminders of the lives lost for this country's freedoms.
"When you come down Commerce Street and you see all these banners of these heroic men and women who've served our country, it reminds you, it reminds you that freedom isn't free and it's paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of the bravest men and women who this world has known," Slater said.
Slater also said that despite the inclement weather, the Memorial Day festivities will go on as planned Monday.
"It's a bit abbreviated compared to past years, but when the veterans ask to honor those who served and died in the name of freedom, you just can't say no," Slater said.
The banners will hang proudly until Veterans Day in November. They will then be taken down and given to the families who purchased the banners as a keepsake.