Chester unveils 'Hometown Heroes' banner program and online veterans hall; banners to be installed Friday

City leaders announced May 28 that Chester’s new "Hometown Heroes" banner program will begin installation this week, with an unveiling scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. at Twelfth Street between Edgemont and Providence. The program includes physical banners to be displayed year-round and an online veterans hall where families can submit photos and biographical information for free.

Council members and staff said banners will be installed at several visible locations, with an initial cluster of eight banners at Twelfth and Edgemont and additional banners nearby. Councilman Davis said the city will accept applications and a release, a high-quality photo and military verification; the application form and release are available on the city website. He said the online collection will be hosted at ChesterCity.com/veterans and the app includes a veterans tab to browse submissions.

"The goal of this program... is because, you know, it's a long time coming," Councilman Davis said, urging community members to submit veterans’ photos and bios even if they cannot afford a physical banner. Justin Tibbles showed a sample application and a draft of the web page; he said the city will continue to accept submissions and build out the veterans hall over time.

The mayor thanked public- and private-sector partners and said utility company Delcora will provide a bucket truck to assist with installation. The program includes a modest applicant fee for physical banners; the online entry to the veterans hall is free, officials said.