Butler City’s Main Street filled with veteran banners
When the Butler American Legion Post 117 began hanging banners honoring military veterans in Butler City in 2006, no one anticipated that demand would exceed the available space.
The Legion started the program to recognize city veterans in the spring that year and by April 2019 volunteers had hung 435 banners in the most visible locations along the busiest streets in town.
“When we started this program, we never thought it would get his big,” said Jim Dittmer, post commander.
The city’s light poles on Main Street were the first to be decorated with the banners, he said. Banners were placed on all the poles that were visible from the road. Poles that are difficult to see because of trees were left out of the program, he said.
Next came the light poles on Center Avenue and Jefferson Street. The Legion didn’t want to place the banners on smaller side streets because fewer people would see them, Dittmer said.
“We figured that’s enough. The city was what I considered saturated,“ Dittmer said.
Steve Geibel had banners memorializing his late father, Stephen Geibel, and late brother, David Geibel, placed on poles outside of the family’s funeral home at the corner of South McKean and East Cunningham streets.
He said the Legion was happy to grant his request to place the banners near the funeral home because it ran out of space on Main Street.
“I thought it was a tremendous idea that the Legion started and cried out,” Geibel said. “Veterans should receive that honor and recognition for their service. This is an excellent way to do it. Very patriotic.”
A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the full story and support our local, independent newsroom, please subscribe at butlereagle.com.
