More Banners on School Street

Dateline: Sept. 4, 2020

Two more Hometown Hero banners now grace School Street near Town Hall. Matt Wieczhalek-Seiler, head of Concord for Hometown Heroes Banners LLC, brought two more completed banners to town. With the help of Rich and Trish Caruso, the banners were installed despite a light rain falling all morning.

Rich did most of the work, climbing the 12-foot ladder and fastening the brackets, steel bands, rods, and banners onto the poles.

The first banner is in memory of Lawrence F. Martel, U.S. Navy, WWII. The second banner is dedicated to Gerald H. Lavoie, U.S. Navy, WWII. The third banner honors SSgt Edward B. Tierney, USMC (Ret).

Do You Know These Veterans?

The Allenstown Economic Development Committee has been trying to locate relatives of veterans who were killed in action from World War II to the present. We even have a local organization willing to sponsor a banner. The EDC would like to help sponsor a Hometown Hero Banner.

Are you related to any of the following Allenstown veterans? If so, contact the EDC so we can help you obtain a banner.

• George O. Malo, killed in action, June 15, 1942
• Norman Auger, taken prisoner in Germany, October 10, 1943
• Norman Raymond, killed in action, the Italian Front
• Leo Daneault, prisoner of war, Germany
• Robert Neveu, killed in action, Germany, 1945
• PFC Ernest Ulric Gamelin, Jr., a Vietnam War casualty on October 23, 1968
• PFC David Charles Joseph Marier, killed in action in Korea on March 2, 1951.

What You Can Do

Drive or walk slowly past these banners and thank these veterans for their service.

To sponsor a banner, the veteran's family would need to supply a good quality photo of their veteran relative in uniform, and information like name, rank at discharge, branch of service, era of service, and details of any medals received. The photo is important since the vendor enlarges it to 24 inches wide.

Contact the EDC at economicdevelopment@allenstownnh.gov.