Like most of you, it is my belief the City of Lawrence, which was the home of Ft. Benjamin Harrison for almost a century, is a city that should not lose its outstanding military heritage now that the Army post is closed. We are proud that our City continues to enjoy a busy, active PX/Commissary, a U.S. Army Reserve center and a new Indiana National Guard Armory, called the Lawrence Readiness Center, which is currently under construction. However, with all of that there is something missing. Recognizing we are the hometown to brave men and women in uniform, who have volunteered to put their normal lives on hold in order to serve their nation and protect its freedoms, the City of Lawrence would like to honor them for their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way for all of us.
Therefore, we would like to honor the residents of the City of Lawrence who are currently serving, or the relatives of business owners in the City of Lawrence who are currently serving, by placing banners on the light fixtures along the streets of the City so those driving or walking by can remember that freedom is not free.
Our vision is to have a blue star banner erected in the name of an individual service member, with the rank of enlisted or officer, who counts the City of Lawrence as their hometown or whose relative is a business owner in the City of Lawrence. These service members must be stationed outside of the State of Indiana, either overseas or domestically.
The cost of this program will be underwritten by fundraising and private donations and will be of no cost to the service member or their family. If you would like to submit the name of a service member who is currently serving his/her country and who meets the criteria listed above, please call Candy Davis at 545-6191 or email her at cdavis@cityoflawrence.org.
Freewill donations will also be accepted by anyone who would like to contribute to this program.
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