The City of Lakeland, Tennessee, is finding a new way to make the stories of local military service members visible throughout the community. Through its new Hometown Heroes Banner Program, Lakeland will recognize active-duty military personnel and honorably discharged veterans with personalized banners displayed throughout the city. The initiative gives families, friends, businesses, and community organizations an opportunity to honor individuals with ties to Lakeland while creating a public reminder of the service and sacrifice represented within the community.
The program was introduced in summer 2026, with the inaugural banners scheduled to make their appearance this fall. The City has described Hometown Heroes as a new initiative honoring men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.[1] For Lakeland, the program represents more than a seasonal display. By placing the names and photographs of service members in public spaces, the initiative offers residents a chance to learn more about the people behind the community’s military history.
Recognizing Generations of Military Service
Eligibility for the Hometown Heroes Banner Program extends to both current and former Lakeland residents. To qualify, an individual must have lived in the City of Lakeland at some point and must either currently serve on active duty or be an honorably discharged veteran. Both living and deceased veterans may be recognized.
Eligible service includes the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.[2] The broad eligibility requirements allow the program to recognize military service across generations. A banner could honor someone currently serving in the Armed Forces just as easily as it could commemorate a veteran whose connection to Lakeland stretches back decades.
That distinction helps turn the program into a record of local history as well as an expression of gratitude. Longtime residents may see familiar names, while newer residents may discover stories and individuals they did not previously know.
Each banner will feature the honoree’s photograph, name, military branch, and either years of service or a message thanking the individual for serving. The 36-by-48-inch banners are produced in full color using heavy-duty outdoor vinyl, with the same veteran represented on both sides. Military photographs in uniform are preferred, including official service portraits when available. Recognizing that photographs of older veterans may exist only in print, the City also allows applicants to bring original photographs to Lakeland City Hall for scanning. That small accommodation can be particularly meaningful for families hoping to recognize veterans from earlier generations whose military records and photographs predate the digital era.
A Community-Supported Tribute
The Hometown Heroes program also gives people beyond veterans’ immediate families an opportunity to participate. Family members and friends can sponsor banners, but local businesses and organizations are eligible to do so as well. Sponsorship costs $100 per banner, with the fee helping offset expenses associated with production, mounting hardware, installation, maintenance, and eventual removal. This structure allows the program to become a broader community effort. A local organization, for example, could recognize a member with a history of military service, while a business could sponsor an eligible veteran with ties to Lakeland.
The City’s inaugural application period began July 20. It was originally scheduled to close August 15, but Lakeland subsequently announced that applications would remain open through August 30. Because the number of banners is limited, submitting an application does not guarantee placement. The extended deadline provides additional time for residents and organizations to identify eligible service members, locate photographs, and gather the information necessary to participate.
Banners Coming to Lakeland This Fall
Following the application and eligibility-verification process, the first Hometown Heroes banners are expected to be designed, produced, and installed in September.
For the inaugural year, the banners are scheduled to remain on display through the end of November. That timing will allow the first group of honorees to be represented in the community during the period surrounding Veterans Day on November 11. Beginning in 2027, the program is expected to operate on a longer seasonal schedule. Applications are planned for February and March, followed by eligibility verification and production during the spring. Banners will then be installed before Memorial Day and remain on display through the end of November.
Under that schedule, Hometown Heroes will become a visible part of Lakeland from Memorial Day through Veterans Day and beyond, connecting two of the country’s most significant annual observances of military service and sacrifice. Individual banners will also have a life beyond a single season. The City plans to keep each banner in its inventory for three years, displaying it during the designated seasonal period each year. Afterward, sponsors will have the opportunity to renew the banner or allow the location to become available for another veteran.
Putting Names and Faces to Local History
Military recognition can take many forms, from ceremonies and monuments to Veterans Day events and memorials. Lakeland’s approach adds a personal element by putting individual names and faces in places residents encounter as part of everyday life.
A photograph can make the idea of military service feel more immediate. Instead of recognizing veterans only as a group, the banners introduce residents to individual people, the neighbor who served decades ago, the relative whose military portrait has been preserved by a family, or the current service member who still calls Lakeland home.
Over time, the program also has the potential to highlight just how many military stories are woven into Lakeland’s history. As new banners are added in future years, residents could encounter veterans representing different military branches, generations, ranks, and periods of American history. Each banner will tell only a small part of one person’s story, but collectively, the displays can illustrate the long-standing connection between military service and the Lakeland community. The program is also an example of how local government can create opportunities for residents to recognize one another. Rather than limiting military appreciation to a single ceremony or date on the calendar, Hometown Heroes brings that recognition into shared community spaces for months at a time.
For the families and friends sponsoring banners, seeing a loved one’s photograph displayed publicly can serve as a meaningful acknowledgment of that person’s service. For other residents, the banners offer a reminder that the history of a community is shaped not only by places and events, but by the people who have called it home.
With its first banners scheduled to appear this September, Lakeland’s Hometown Heroes Banner Program is poised to establish a new community tradition, one that preserves local stories, recognizes military service, and gives residents another way to say thank you to the men and women who served.
[1] City of Lakeland, “City Management Update – July 29, 2026,” July 29, 2026. https://lakelandtn.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1556
[2] City of Lakeland, “Hometown Heroes Program,” including eligibility requirements, banner specifications, sponsorship information, and program schedule. https://www.lakelandtn.gov/529/Hometown-Heroes-Program
