Veterans honored along Main Street
106 banners recognize Big Valley military service
Trending
BELLEVILLE -- Travelers along Route 655 through Belleville will see military banners hanging from nearly every utility pole, honoring veterans with ties to the Big Valley area.
Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935 installed the banners this spring.
The more than 2-mile stretch of Main Street features 106 banners honoring men and women from the Big Valley area who served in the military.
Three banners outside the VFW post hold special significance. They honor Hugh R. Alexander, U.S. Navy, World War I and World War II; John C. Stroup, U.S. Army, World War I; and Dennis G. Harman, U.S. Army, Vietnam War, all of whom lost their lives while serving overseas.
The post is named for Stroup and Alexander. Alexander was killed during World War II.
Ted Carothers, co-chairman of the banner project, said the banners will remain on display year-round.
Organizers generally tried to place banners honoring veterans of World War I, World War II and the Korean War on the side heading west toward Allensville, while Vietnam War veterans were honored on the side heading toward Reedsville. However, several World War II banners received later were also placed on the Reedsville side of Main Street.
Starting at the west end of Route 655 and heading toward Reedsville, the banners on the right side of Main Street are:
West end of Route 655: Larry E. Wagner, U.S. Army; Ramel R. Romero, U.S. Army; Robert I. Zook, U.S. Army; Paul D. Treaster Sr., U.S. Army; John Long, U.S. Army; Jeremiah Carson, U.S. Air Force; William Carson, U.S. Navy; and John H. Chester, U.S. Army, Korean War.
Belleville Hill at Walnut Street: Alfonso Brigante, U.S. Army, World War II; Samuel L. Lloyd, U.S. Army, World War II; Ray M. Bratton, U.S. Marine Corps, World War II; and Earl Bratton, U.S. Army, World War II.
Kishacoquillas Street: Warren Bay Buchanan, U.S. Army, World War II; John D. Stroup Sr., U.S. Army, World War II; Robert B. MaClay Jr., U.S. Army, World War II; and Thomas H. Wilson, U.S. Navy and National Guard, World War II.
MCS Bank: Marlin W. Cleck, U.S. Army, World War II; and Urie H. Zook, U.S. Army Air Forces, World War II.
Penn Street: Paul Conner, U.S. Army, World War II; Donald E. Conner, U.S. Army Air Forces, World War II; Lawence Allen Stroup Jr., U.S. Navy, World War II; Charles "CJ" Wyland, U.S. Army Air Forces, World War II; and Harry E. Spickler Sr., U.S. Army, World War II.
State Street: Richard T. Young, U.S. Navy, World War II; Donald F. Smith Sr., U.S. Army, World War II; and, across from the VFW post, Alexander, Stroup and Harman.
Past the VFW post toward Reedsville: Steven C. Wyland, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; John Kennedy, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; Kenneth Wyland, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; and Herbert Eichhorn, U.S. Army, Vietnam War.
Poplar Street: William H. Stroup, U.S. Navy, Vietnam War; Thomas Young, U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam War; Gary Anderson, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War; and Carl Richard Imes, U.S. Army, Vietnam War.
Grandview Street: James D. Buchanan, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; Dale F. Buchanan, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War; Park H. Myers Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam War; John "Pecos" Kauffman, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; Dennis Bullick, U.S. Navy, Vietnam War; and Al Coudriet, U.S. Army, Vietnam War.
East End Street: Amos S. Bullick Jr., U.S. Air Force; Donald Mathews Jr., U.S. Marine Corps; Michael Carothers, U.S. Navy; Jerry Kanagy, U.S. Marine Corps; Sherwood E. Frankhouser, U.S. Army; Roy Crownover, U.S. Army; Doug Stuck, U.S. Navy; Sidney B. Yoder, U.S. Army and National Guard; Robert E. Treaster, U.S. Marine Corps; John R. Randolph, U.S. Army, World War II; Charles C. "Kneppy" Knepp, U.S. Army, World War II; Glen Spicher, U.S. Army, World War II; Herman A. Fala, U.S. Army, World War II; Elwood Kauffman Sr., U.S. Army, World War II; and David C. Bigelow, U.S. Navy, World War II.
On the left side of Main Street, heading from Allensville toward Reedsville, the banners are:
St. John's Lutheran Church: Tristan Conner, U.S. Army Reserve; Reno Hassinger, U.S. Marine Corps; Ronald P. Conner, U.S. Marine Corps; Michael P. Conner, U.S. Army; James Harmon, U.S. Navy; James A. Fultz, U.S. Army, Korean War; Albert M. Carson, U.S. Army, Korean War; Ronald Carson, U.S. Army, Korean War; Frank Oburn, U.S. Navy, Korean War; Louie Yoder, U.S. Army, Korean War; and Donald Mathews, U.S. Air Force.
Pleasant Street: Frank G. Yoder, U.S. Air Force, Korean War; Fred T. Coder, U.S. Navy, Korean War; Walter A. Long Sr., U.S. Navy, Korean War; Eugene B. Crownover, U.S. Navy and Air National Guard, Korean War and World War II; Mark Smoker, U.S. Army, World War II; and Paul S. Zook, U.S. Army, World War II.
Route 305: Pharis Nester Trutt, U.S. Army, World War II; Herman Leroy Knepp, U.S. Navy, World War II; Jon Dulack, U.S. Army, World War II; Samuel E. Plank, U.S. Marine Corps, World War II; Eugene H. Shaffer, U.S. Army Air Forces, World War II; and A. Reed Hayes Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, World War II.
Poplar Street: George L. Thompson II, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; Harry Carothers, U.S. Navy, Vietnam War; John K. Durst, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War; and, at Kish Bank, Robert D. Keller, U.S. Army, Vietnam War.
Belleville Thrift and Gift and Sharp Shopper: John Baker, U.S. Navy, Vietnam War; Elwood L. Kauffman Jr., U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War; John W. Allison, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; Jack A. Zook, U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam War; and Richard Colpetzer, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam War.
Maple Grove Road: H. Ross Harshbarger, U.S. Navy; and Charles W. Corbin, U.S. Navy, Vietnam War.
Big Valley Ambulance: Christopher N. Plank, U.S. Navy.
Belleville Car Wash: Andrew Vogt, U.S. Navy; Joan Ostrowski, U.S. Navy; Mark Ostrowski, U.S. Navy; Edwards J. Rhodes, U.S. Army; Timothy E. Mateer, Pennsylvania Air National Guard/U.S. Army; Gary Richard Fultz, U.S. Army; William C. Treaster, U.S. Army; and Richard W. Shilling, U.S. Navy.
NAPA store: John Tedeschi, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, World War II; Arthur W. Kauffman, U.S. Marine Corps, World War II; Samuel W. Willis, U.S. Army, World War II; Harry F. Wills, U.S. Navy, World War II; Frederick H. Erb Sr., U.S. Army, World War II; and Glen P. Laub, U.S. Army, World War II.
Maps showing the locations of the banners along Main Street are available through Union Township and Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935.
Carothers said the post has completed its banner orders for this year, but additional banners may be ordered next spring. Those interested in being notified when the post begins accepting orders for 2027 may email hometownheros5935@gmail.com.