City to Publicly Honor Soldiers

Commemorative banners honoring Rohnert Park residents serving on active duty in the military will soon be installed at City Center Plaza, near the library and Departmet of Public Safety.

Local resident Andy Durkee, who was inspired by the armed forces banners displayed in other California cities, to the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission over the last few months, and now, the first banners are set to go up within the next month or so, he said.

"To me, this is nonpolitical, it's just a way to honor our troops," Durkee said about his idea, that's been slowly making headway. "We were visiting our son in Rancho Cucamonga recently and I was impressed with their armed forces banner program honoring soldiers who are serving our country."

So far, Durkee says he's sent out 12 applications for the pilot program, and five have been turned in. He estimates between six and 10 banners will be installed on five light poles in City Center Plaza — each of which could display two servicemembers — one on either side.

The idea has been no small feat for Durkee. He's scoured church bulletins, called military bases, pushed the word out in local media, searched Facebook for people and poured over military newsletters from across the country.

"I still have about a dozen people to identify," he said. "We're starting with about 10, but after they go up, I'm going to ask the community what they think."

He says if Rohnert Park likes what it sees, he'll take a proposal to the City Council to get a citywide program adopted.

Durkee enlisted the help of the city to get the program off the ground. He's working with the Department of Public Works, who will install the banners. The Chamber of Commerce is handling the finances and it was the Parks and Recreation Commission .

How it works: Durkee identifies soldiers who are currently serving, works with the family on the application and gets a photo of the servicemember, the banners are then installed by the city. Each banner costs roughly $130, and are paid for by individual and business sponsors. Banners will be printed and installed with available funding. 

Each display would read: Rohnert Park honors, then the name of soldier and the branch of service.

"The Rohnert Park Armed Forces Banner Program was created for the community to honor and recognize individuals on active duty in the military," Durkee says. "These members either reside in or have immediate family members that reside in the city of Rohnert Park."

"Once they go up, I'll be asking for some reaction from the community — I want to know what they think," Durkee said.

Editor's note: Donations to the program are cheerfully accepted, says Durkee. He's also asking for help to contact the following soldiers, if you know how to reach the individual or the family, tell us in the comments below, call Durkee at 707-584-5109 or email andy@starspangledbanners.org.

• Will McGuier
• Steven T. Conners (Air Force)
• Ely Nelson (Marines)
• Doug Duanes
• Kristal L. Silva (Army)
• Asa Hess-Matsumoto (Marines)
• Benjamin W. Barkley (Air Force)