Just in time for Memorial Day, the city of Syracuse was proclaimed as a Purple Heart City and Syracuse leaders launched a new program honoring veterans and active duty military in the City of Syracuse.
The Hometown Heroes Program will display 300 banners in its inaugural year along James Street and inside Kirk Park on the city's southside honoring veterans and active duty military members. Sponsoring a banner is $160 and it will be displayed for three years. The city aims to expand the program in future years.
Joe Fraccola is Commander of the Central New York Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
"You're going to see a lot of pictures," Fraccola said. "You're going to hear a lot of stories. And that's what it's all about. People are going to tell their stories about their uncles, their fathers, grandfathers, you know, sons, daughters."
Herbert Dunmore is Commander of the Dunbar American Legion Post 1642 — one of the oldest Black American Legion Posts in the country.
"It's past time, it's a great thing," Dunmore said. "It honors every ethnicity, which is great. And people they need to understand that Syracuse is a good hometown where people respect servicemen. I think it will bring people together more so than it has in the past just to know that someone is embracing a loved one with respect."
The Hometown Heroes banners can be ordereduntil June 20, or until they run out. The first banners will go up in August and be displayed through Veteran's Day.
In future years banners will be displayed beginning at Memorial Day and come down at Veteran's Day.
Four Purple Heart City signs will also be displayed throughout the city — two at North and South Salina Streets and two at East and West Genesee Street.
