In the warm glow of streetlights along the Friendly City’s thoroughfares, a quiet tribute has taken shape over the past few months. The Military Banner Program, launched under Mayor Dennis Magruder’s administration, now colors the city’s skyline with faces of the brave — each one a story, a sacrifice, a reminder. It’s time we reflect on the power this program holds for a community that must never forget the sacrifice made by its native sons.

This past week, Wheeling raised a banner honoring John Stanley Duplaga who died aboard the USS Forrestal in July 1967. Duplaga’s story — nicknamed “Germ” as a boy for his slight frame, yet a man of towering courage, according to family members — resonates in the reading of his own words: “If I would get killed … it will be for you, Mom, so you can live free. Mom, you’re the kind of person that deserves to live free and happy because you appreciate what you have,” Duplaga wrote.

That banner now hangs over National Road in Fulton, keeping watch just outside Generations Restaurant, owned by the Duplaga family. It joins more than 250 others already placed throughout the city.

In another corner of our city, on Wheeling Island, the banner for Cpl. James Leo Thonen now stands near his childhood home. He was 20 years old when he died in Vietnam, just two months shy of completing his tour.

At the dedication last month, his sister, community members, and veterans came together to remember who he was — not just a name on a wall, but a brother, a hometown boy, a young man who chose service to his country.

“Today, we are very grateful to be able to honor Cpl. James Leo Thonen, whose banner can be proudly seen right behind me,” John Larch, volunteer coordinator for Wheeling’s Military Banner Program, said as he welcomed Thonen’s family and friends to the ceremony.

“We’re grateful that they’re here, and we’re grateful to be here to remember his legacy, his ultimate sacrifice and his service to our country.”

Further south, the banner honoring Pfc. John Habak now marks the corner of Jacob and 44th streets in South Wheeling.

Habak, a Marine killed at Iwo Jima in 1945, never returned home. Yet now, in the very neighborhood where he grew up, his family said the banner allows him to symbolically return, staking his place in the neighborhood’s memory.

“I never got to meet him,” said Mary Blair, Habak’s niece. “He died when my mother was just young.

“I wanted to do something for Uncle John. He meant so much to my mother. … He grew up there, this is where their grocery store was.”

Habak served in 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division — the unit that raised the flag on Mount Suribachi.

These are just three of the stories presented so far. There are many more — and they all deserve recognition.

These banners are more than roadside decorations — they are visible oaths that our city will never forget. They put faces on sacrifice, draw connections between past and present, and offer a place for families and neighbors to gather and remember loved ones.

The success of such a program, though, rests on its continued commitment. We encourage every ward, every neighborhood, every civic association to support the banner initiative. That means funding for the banners, maintenance, installation, and community volunteers who coordinate with families. As has been shown to date, placing a pole where a family wishes is not a small detail — it’s a gesture of respect.

The banners also must not become background noise. City leaders, veterans’ groups, and schools must mount accompanying programming — historical walks, Remembrance Day events, educational signage. Let every glance upward spark a question: “Who was this?” Let every pause at a banner deepen our sense of civic duty.

Wheeling’s banner program is more than honoring veterans — it is building a bridge across generations. As new banners rise, let our gratitude rise with them — strong, visible, and steadfast.