GREENDALE, Wis. — Visitors to Greendale's Village Center might have noticed something new along Broad Street this November: 22 banners, each honoring a local military veteran.
The banners feature veterans from different generations and branches of the military.
"You drive down Broad Street; it's beautiful. Brings a tear to your eye," said Ted Gurzynski, who was drafted during the Vietnam War and served as an infantryman stationed in Washington, D.C.
Gurzynski spearheaded the banner project and got the idea after seeing similar banners in Kiel. The local American Legion post collaborated with the Village of Greendale to bring the banners downtown.
"I said, 'This would be a great idea for Greendale,' because Greendale is such a beautiful little community; so tight-knit, so small and yet so real. I thought, 'Let’s work on that and see if we can do that,'" said Gurzynski.
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The response from the community was quick.
"It only took two and a half weeks to sell out those 22 flagpoles that we had," Gurzynski said. "Everyone was just so happy."
"The feedback has been amazing. I’ve had so many community members reach out to me. They love it, and they want to see it again, and I want to see it again," said Village President Jason Cyborowski.
Among those featured is James Birmingham, who joined the U.S. Navy in 1968 and primarily served as a welder on the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier. His banner hangs alongside one honoring his father Robert, who served during World War II.
"Pride is all I can say. The pride that I felt to have my Navy picture, and right behind my dad on there," Birmingham said.
Kristin Dodds, a U.S. Army veteran, is also pictured on a banner. She has served primarily with the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Green Bay and said she's deployed three times: once to Afghanistan and twice to Eastern Europe.
"I’ve had friends message me like, 'Oh my gosh, I saw you in the Village,' and my daughter was down here the other day with friends and was like, 'Mom, I saw your picture,'" said Dodds.
She said being featured alongside other local veterans is especially meaningful.
"We have amazing veterans in our community, both still with us and those that have passed that continue to serve the veteran community and that have served our country very proudly, so to be up on the lamppost with them is really amazing," Dodds said.
For Gurzynski, finally seeing the finished display has brought up several feelings.
"Good, proud, glad to have done it, emotional, obviously. It should be emotional," Gurzynski said. "A lot of people up there gave their lives. Some not so much, but everyone said yes."
The banners will remain on display through Nov. 20, and there are already plans to continue the project and add more banners in future years.
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