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Date: 11/13/2023
LUDLOW — Veterans Services Director Eric Segundo and the town look to continue to honor its veterans past Veterans Day.
Segundo met with the Board of Selectmen at its Oct. 17 to discuss a Heroes Banner project.
“This is something I have talked about a ton in the past and now that we are settled in to the Veterans Center I was able to focus some time on it,” he added.
The goal is to hang up heroes’ banners from Putts Bridge to Chapin Street on the black light poles.
The banner will include the veteran’s name, where they served and their branch of service.
Segundo said, “Many communities have done this in their town especially in Western Massachusetts, so I think it is time for Ludlow to start honoring them.”
The banner costs $100 and can be sponsored by any family member or veteran who wants to purchase one.
Any resident who is not related to a veteran can also donate to help sponsor a banner as well.
“Those that were killed in action will have priority over everyone else, so it is a veteran family member who wants to honor their loved one who was killed in action, they will be put up before anyone else. We would need a batch of 100 banners to save cost,” Segundo added.
The forms will be available in Segundo’s office and checks should be made out to the town of Ludlow.
Segundo added, “Once we get 100 banner orders, we will order them and a JPEG with good pixels is always good as well for the pictures.”
Selectman Derek DeBarge said, “This is something we have wanted to do for quite a few years and our 250th celebration is kind of what kicked this into gear. To honor and actually look like a community that does as much for its veterans as it does. We do more for our community than most communities or anyone that I know, veterans especially.”
Some perks that the new Veteran Center offers is the Veterans of Foreign Wars started hosting a free luncheon on the second Tuesday of every month, a permanent food pantry with refrigeration, outreach service information and a space for veteran social events.
DeBarge added, “I think we should do whatever we can to support this project because you bet there are families who are going to come out and get these banners. I personally will be putting one in for my grandfather. It’s a great thing.”
The Board of Selectmen approved the banners to be hung in Ludlow and appropriated up to $6,000 in 40R funds for the brackets that will hang the military service banners.
40R funds are a Planning Board “bucket” that the Board of Selectmen have access to.