photo by: Eric Ayres (file)

CJ Rouscher of the Wheeling Operations Department, left, and John Larch, volunteer with the Military Banner Program in Wheeling, appear during a ceremony in South Wheeling this past September. Larch recognized Rouscher and the Operations Department for assisting with the program, noting that city crews have placed hundreds of banners throughout Wheeling in locations specifically requested by the family of soldiers being saluted.

WHEELING — John Larch never served in the military. He wasn’t the man who launched a military banner program in the Ohio Valley, and he refuses to take credit for starting the one in Wheeling. But those who know him are quick to proudly salute his tireless efforts to honor the city’s veterans — and to help give them a well-deserved spotlight in their community.

Larch volunteers his time to bring Wheeling’s Military Banner Program to life, and over the past year, the Friendly City has honored nearly 300 veterans and active duty military personnel. Many have noted that Wheeling was quickly transformed from the city without military banners to the community with one of the most successful and celebrated salutes to its veterans with banners displayed throughout town.

“The banner program has been an amazing program in Wheeling,” Mayor Denny Magruder said. “It was launched last year — just about a year ago — on Veterans Day. As of today, there are 297 banners gracing the streets of Wheeling.”

A nonprofit program, the military banner program in Wheeling aims to recognize any active duty soldier or veteran of the U.S. military — living or deceased, serving in peace time or war time — who are from the city. Banners with each veteran’s photo and details about their service are sponsored — typically by family members or friends — and their banners are displayed prominently above city streets on utility poles from late May to early November.

“John would be upset that I say it to everybody, but it’s true — John is the true heart of this program. He’s put this together,” Magruder said. “The man’s amazing. He is the guy that brought the idea to me and said, ‘hey, we should do this.’ I said, “John, I think the idea is great.’ He’s taken the ball and ran with it.”

Since the program’s inception in Wheeling, there have been a number of special banner dedication ceremonies held for veterans who have been killed in action. They have all included participation by city officials and representatives of the Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard and Wheeling VFW 4442, as well family members of the fallen heroes.

The mayor said Larch — when he’s not tackling his full-time job as a financial advisor — helps organize these events, contacts the families, prints programs for the ceremonies and spends a lot of time and energy to make each dedication special.

“He’s so devoted to our veterans,” Magruder said. “He is the heartbeat of this banner program, there’s just no doubt about it. There are other people on the fringe, like me, but John is the heart. He truly is.”

Larch himself is not a veteran, but he learned long ago about the respect that is earned by those who wear the uniform.

“My dad served six years in the Air Force,” Larch noted. “He taught me at a young age to respect our veterans and our flag. I attended annual Veterans Day ceremonies with him for 50-plus years.”

Military banner programs have been popping up in communities across the country for well over a decade. Locally, the effort started gaining traction in the Northern Panhandle and surrounding areas in the region thanks to the efforts of Weirton City Councilman Tim Connell.

The Weirton Military Banner Program was launched by Connell and his wife, Chris, back in 2016.

“He’s a Vietnam veteran,” Larch said of Connell, a U.S. Navy veteran. “He and his wife brought a program to Weirton about 10 years ago. Weirton was the first city in West Virginia that offered this.”

Connell helped with the launch of Wheeling’s program, which has become wildly successful.

Over the past decade since Weirton’s program began, military banner programs have spread to communities throughout the Ohio Valley, but up until last year, Wheeling did not have one. This void prompted Larch to roll up his sleeves and bring some key players to the table, including the mayor and officials from the local military organizations.

“Every city but Wheeling had a banner program,” Larch said. “When Mayor Denny Magruder got elected, he said ‘we’re going to bring this program to Wheeling.'”

Larch humbly credits Magruder as being the catalyst for Wheeling’s program.

“We met with Tim Connell and his wife, and they gave us a road map on exactly what to do, step by step. And that’s how it came to Wheeling,” Larch said. “Mayor Denny Magruder brought this program to Wheeling.”

Many other entities have stepped up to help with the program as well, including the representatives of Wheeling’s VFW and American Legion, the city’s Operation Department and the city administration, among others.

“When Mayor Magruder and John Larch came to the city to talk about the banner program asking for the Operations Department to coordinate it — it was an easy decision to say ‘yes,'” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron noted.

Vice Commander Chuck Ryan of VFW 4442 recalled that he and Commander Wally McMasters met Larch to discuss the possibility of establishing a military banner program in Wheeling.

“Word spread very quickly,” Ryan said. “Before you knew it, applications started coming in. I would like to know how many hours Mr. John Larch has put into this program. Keep in mind — he’s not retired. He’s still working. The hours this man puts in for this program is unbelievable.”

Ryan said those who gave their lives in service of their country should never be forgotten, and the military banners not only help the community salute these veterans, they also help families know that their loved ones are not forgotten — they are always going to be remembered.

The mayor also tipped his hat to Superintendent Steve Johnston and CJ Rouscher of the Wheeling Operations Department.

“It’s not an easy task to drive around town, find the right poles, put up the brackets, fight the traffic, make sure they’re all level … and these guys have gone a step beyond,” Magruder said. “They’ve tried to put these banners in meaningful spots — close to the neighborhood each veteran grew up in, in front of the houses where they were born. CJ is the man who installs the banners.”

“When we brought this program to Wheeling a year ago, our intention was to honor active military and veterans who grew up in Wheeling,” Larch noted. “We didn’t anticipate the opportunity to remember those fallen soldiers. The first application that we received for a killed in action soldier was for Sgt. Robert Hickman from Wheeling Island. We held our first veterans ceremony on May 13 of this year.”

Seven more KIA ceremonies have taken place this year, complete with a three-volley salute by the Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard, details of each veterans life in the city and service overseas, flag presentation to the family, playing of taps, and oftentimes, a pledge of allegiance led by local students.

Dave Schoenian, president of the Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard, said it was special to see the youth participate in these ceremonies honoring veterans.

“We have been a part of most all of these events, but we’re about to embark on a very busy time of the year for us — not only with funerals, but also with Veterans Day, going into the schools and everything,” Schoenian said, noting that having families of the fallen soldiers on hand often stirs emotion, but seeing children pause to honor them is also very moving. “That’s where it starts. It starts with the kids understanding the sacrifices that these men made. That’s a great thing, and these ceremonies offer that opportunity.”

Wheeling’s military banners will soon be taken down for the winter.

“They’ll be cleaned and stored safely in the city building,” Larch said. “And then they’ll go up again in May — our commitment is to get them all up before Memorial Day and show them between Memorial Day and Veterans Day every year.”

Larch said removing the banners from the harsh elements of winter will help keep them in good shape much longer.

Larch said the other cities deserve a big salute for their banner programs – from Benwood to Moundsville, St. Clairsville and beyond.

“They’ve all done a great job,” Larch said, acknowledging that Wheeling’s KIA banner dedications have become something very special. “The mayor decided early on to put these ceremonies together and to honor those fallen soldiers, and I think that may be unique to our city.”

Officials thanked the city’s John Banco for providing sound systems during the ceremonies, which often take place along busy streets, as well as Michele Rejonis, marketing and community relations specialist, for helping to spread the word about these special events.

“It’s been a joy to get to know them and work with them — everyone on the team,” Larch said. “For all the families in Wheeling that are participating, you have our commitment that we’re going to try to maintain and grow this program for years to come. May God bless our veterans — here and across the country.”

For information about Wheeling’s non-profit Military Banner Program, visit troopbanners.com/wheeling/.