Fallen soldiers honored with banners in Pa.

[cec]

Fallen soldiers honored with banners in Pa.




The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday May 12, 2007 9:39:28 EDT

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Scores of banners are hanging from downtown lampposts in Pennsylvania’s capital to commemorate troops from the state who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Each “Pennsylvania Hometown Heroes” banner bears a photograph, name, rank, branch of service, age and the date and location of death.
“The tears start to come to your eyes when you see your son. Pretty special,” Ruth Stonesifer of Doylestown said Thursday as she viewed the banner for her son, Kristofor Stonesifer, an Army Ranger killed in Pakistan in October 2001 at age 28.
On Saturday, Gov. Ed Rendell plans to speak at a memorial service in Soldiers Grove behind the state Capitol. Hundreds of relatives of fallen soldiers are expected to attend, and some will take turns reading the names of all those killed in the two wars. At least 170 soldiers with ties to Pennsylvania have been killed in Iraq alone.
The 128 banners — each measuring 8 feet by 4 feet — are being displayed over an area of more than 30 blocks, which takes in the central downtown area and abuts the Capitol complex. They are expected to remain in place through October. The program costs more than $60,000.
Stonesifer, president of the Pennsylvania chapter of American Gold Star Mothers Inc., a nonprofit group that comprises mothers of troops killed in wars, proposed the project to the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District a year ago.
Jeff Murison, the district’s executive director, said more than 80 businesses, organizations and individuals sponsored individual banners. Initial plans for 100 banners were expanded to fulfill the larger number of requests from families, he said.
“It’s been a very powerful and meaningful program to work on,” Murison said.
Murison said he is not aware of any other program in a state capital that honors the war dead from a particular state.
“As far as we know, this is the first of its kind,” he said.



Fallen soldiers honored with banners in Pa. - Military News, Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times





-