Hundreds of colorful, patriotic banners have been proudly displayed on utility poles in the region’s five towns. The American Legion Post 36 started the Boothbay Region Veterans’ Banner Project in 2023, to honor the men and women who served in the United States military. The program is designed to recognize all veterans who served honorably in the armed forces (or Merchant Marine in WWII) from 1941 through the present day, particularly those Killed in Action. We welcome veterans and their families to participate from the five peninsula towns - Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, East Boothbay, Edgecomb, and Southport.

In November, 73 banners were hung in time for Veterans Day. Each vinyl banner is printed on two sides with the veteran’s picture, name, rank and branch of service. During the winter and spring, the project took on a life of its own, and committee members were deluged with requests and orders for banners. We are approaching a total of 400 orders received to date and the phones are still ringing. 

While the project may appear simple, it requires considerable coordination including - special permissions for utility pole usage (which we worked with town managers and select boards to ascertain). Receiving and returning inquiry phone calls and emails, application review, scanning submitted photographs, the submission of all the required information to the banner company and the upload of all the images.

Initially, the committee charged $125 for the banners and worked to secure funds to pay for the brackets, but by May 2024, we realized that the donations had fallen short. The banners are 30” x 60” in size and effective June 1, the cost has been increased to $200/banner to include the cost of the brackets moving forward as it was not financially sustainable to continue without this fee change.

Fund raising efforts continue to pay for the brackets and if you would like to support the project donations can be made to the American Legion, Post 36, P.O. Box 874, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 (Veterans’ Banner Project Donation in the memo line). 

Banner orders received in this round (cut off date is Aug. 1 for new orders), will be installed before Veterans Day and will be taken down after the holiday. The program is scheduled to run for three years, and the banners will be re-hung for Memorial Day 2025. Hanging the banners is a huge job and it has been carried out by Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor Town Department of Public Works employees, in addition to their other duties, including the numerous road and property damage projects created by the multiple winter storms the region sustained. We are grateful for their work and the effort it took to make this community project a reality. 

In Edgecomb, Tim’s Tree Service volunteered the use of its truck for hanging banners. In Southport, Gerry Gamage has made good use of a bucket truck. Boothbay has just purchased a bucket truck to finish hanging its banners and the remaining banners will start to go up this week.

If you are interested in participating in the Boothbay Region Veterans’ Banner Project, please contact the committee member representing your town:

Jim Singer, Chairman (Southport) - 207-751-8450 or singerjo@aol.com

Sue Burge (Boothbay & East Boothbay) - 207-350-1581or vanmanbill@roadrunner.com

Phil Chapman (Boothbay Harbor) - 207-380-7020 or chapmanmax@msn.com

Joel Morley (Edgecomb) - 207-798-1288 or jmorley1@roadrunner.com 

Sarah Sherman (Southport) - 633-7161or shermanmcgrail@yahoo.com 

The Charles E. Sherman Post 36, American Legion and the Committee wishes to thank everyone who has supported the program, either by sponsoring a banner, for their donations, and especially those who hung the banners. You have the Legion’s, the Committee’s, and the peninsula’s gratitude and the pride that goes with honoring our region’s veterans.