City pledges support for third year of vet banners

Before the Ocean City Council approved the resort Elks Lodge’s annual military banner program Monday evening, 11 military personnel had already signed up for 2016.

“There’s really never a shortage of people who want to do this,” said Pat Riordan of the Elks’ Veterans Committee. “It fills up pretty fast and we try to get a variety of service and ethnicity out there.”

The Hometown Hero Banner Program has been honoring 20 active-duty service members from Worcester County with banners on Boardwalk light posts from the pier to Fourth Street since 2014. The banners are about 5-feet long and display the service member’s name, rank and military photograph.

The council unanimously approved the program, making it the third year in a row, Riordan said.

More