Mundelein launches Hometown Heroes banner initiative

MUNDELEIN – The village of Mundelein introduced a new initiative – the Hometown Heroes Veteran’s Banner Program honoring Mundelein residents who served in the military by way of street banners.

The banners will serve as a living tribute to honor past and present members of the armed forces and their family members. The banners will be displayed seasonally from Memorial Day through Veterans Day.

The first group of 20 Hometown Heroes will be displayed along Hawley Street and Seymour Avenue in time for Memorial Day. The banners will be displayed until November. At that time, a new group of Hometown Heroes will be honored for Veterans Day.

“Mundelein is pleased to honor our hometown heroes by way of street banners,” Mayor Steve Lantz said in a news release. “We’ve seen other communities honor their veterans in this manner and we loved the idea. It has been an honor and a privilege for village employees to speak with our veterans’ families and hear their stories during the process of collecting the photos. We hope residents and visitors will pause and appreciate the sacrifices made by our hometown heroes.”

The mission of the Hometown Heroes Veteran’s Banner Program is to place banners throughout Mundelein to honor veterans, either living or deceased, who have served in any branch of the U.S. armed forces in any conflict.

To qualify for the program, the following criteria must be met:

• The honoree is a current or past member of the U.S. armed forces.

• The honoree’s discharge from military service must be honorable.

The cost to sponsor a veteran for a banner is $100. Each banner will be displayed for six months. After that time, the banner will be yours to keep. All funds cover the production of the banner. Mundelein will sponsor and waive the banner fee for any nomination that is submitted on behalf of local military personnel who were killed in action.

Residents interested in applying for a banner for the Veterans Day installation can email info@mundelein.org or call Mundelein Village Hall at 847-949-3200.