Broken Arrow Honors Veterans With Main Street Banners

Broken Arrow is honoring veterans across Oklahoma by hanging banners along Main Street with names and faces of those who served.

Thomas Mancino with the Broken Arrow Military History Museum says this idea was so popular, they sold all 70 banners in one week, and there is a waiting list for more.

It may be a simple idea, but it means so much to so many.

“I think it's great. It's great for the city and it is great for the veterans. I put one up for my father. He was a World War II veteran,” says Thomas Mancino with the Broken Arrow Military History Museum.

“If you go up and down the street you see a combination of living veterans, World War II veterans, Vietnam veterans and Gulf War veterans."

The idea came from Emporia Kansas, where there are 300 banners honoring veterans.

"When we saw how successful that was, we decided we would try to do it if the city of Broken Arrow would allow us to do it,” says Mancino.

Broken Arrow said yes, the banners quickly sold and are now on display in the Rose District.

Mancino says this is just another way to honor those who fought for America’s freedoms and also draws more people to visit the area.

"Having the banners there is just another way to draw people, and they come and they see their families. It is a Purple Heart City; they support the museum. Broken Arrow is a great city to support military veterans."

Mancino says at the end of the day, seeing the smiles from veterans families is what it’s all about.

"The families love them. There's many pictures on Facebook of families underneath their father, or uncle or their family member's banner,” says Mancino.

Since this ideas was so popular, they plan to add at least 20 more banners for Memorial Day. The Broken Arrow Military History Center is sponsoring a Veterans Day concert to honor veterans Nov. 10. 

The concert is free to the public at the Broken Arrow Kirkland Theater, 808 E. College St.