Just ahead of Memorial Day, Albany County has unveiled new banners honoring local veterans.
In Albany's West Capitol Park, Albany County Legislature Chair Joanne Cunningham reads from a list of local veterans who will be honored with roadside banners.
The banners along Washington Avenue recognize 11 veterans from New York’s capital city. Although such banners are becoming common in communities across the country, its the first time they've been hung in Albany.
Cunningham is a Delmar Democrat whose father, grandfather, and uncle have been memorialized in her hometown of New Hartford. She says it’s about time Albany got with the trend.
“As we unveil these banners, let us not only look up, but also look within. Let us remember that gratitude must go beyond words; it must live in our actions and how we support our veterans, how we care for their families, how we preserve the memory of those who never returned,” Cunningham said.
County Executive Dan McCoy, a veteran, hopes the new signage will inspire residents and visitors.
“It’s about you, it's about your families, and it's about taking pride in our community, going down the street and seeing these banners of people who serve so people take the minute of their time to read that sign, to maybe look that person up and say, ‘Hey, who is that person?’ Or ‘I might have known that person I didn't know they served,’” McCoy said.
Legislature Deputy Chair Wanda Willingham’s father, Joe King McLaughlin, was one of the soldiers honored. The Technician Fifth Grade served in World War II.
“Despite what Hollywood puts on screen and many history books focusing on the front lines, it was the mastery of logistics, delivering ammunition and supplies, that were the key in destroying the Nazi war machine, and the trucks at the heart of that supply chain were driven primarily by Black soldiers on the Red Ball Express.”
The Red Ball Express was a supply convoy supporting troops on the front lines after the Normandy invasion in 1944.
Officials say Albany County is home to 20,000 veterans. Residents are invited to nominate future honorees. The banners will be flown year-round.
