HUDSON – Hundreds of residents gathered at the Hudson Armory on May 18 to dedicate Hometown Heroes banners and honor Hudson veterans.
Roughly 100 banners have been hung along Washington Street and Broad Street by the Department of Public Works. The banners represent all 43 Hudson residents killed in action in addition to veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War.
“After a lengthy process of grabbing a whole bunch of community volunteers, we finally have the opportunity to memorialize and celebrate the men and women of Hudson. Some of them have made the ultimate sacrifice, but every one of them raised their hand and offered to make that sacrifice if they had to. The dedication is finally here, and we’re very excited about it,” organizer Mark Vital told the Community Advocate.
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Veterans Director Brian Stearns led the ceremonies, with the Hudson Boy Scouts reading names of the veterans. Hundreds attended the ceremony, including many family members of the veterans.
The ceremony was the result of months of planning. Vital led a group that met monthly, involved several community members and spent significant time researching the veterans to get their pictures.
“The atmosphere today was incredible,” said Vital as he stood under a tent to avoid the persistent rainfall. “Even with the rain, we had 250, 300 people here. Many of them were getting wet… They appreciated the sacrifices their relatives have made, so standing in the rain wasn’t going to change anything.”
The banners will be on display until Nov. 11 at which point they will be stored for the winter.
