Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Warsaw Salutes You Banner Recognition Program announced the upcoming eighth cycle of banners, which will be relocated to the courthouse square downtown Warsaw.
The 26 banners featured for 2025 Veterans Day recognize men and women from all branches of the military and include veterans and memorial honorees, according to a news release.
After seven cycles of the program, the banners are being relocated to the downtown courthouse square in cooperation with Mayor Jeff Grose’s office and the Warsaw Street Department to provide improved visibility and to further enhance the beauty of the downtown area. The Warsaw Salutes You banners will be displayed for an entire year.
The banner program began in 2020 as Warsaw Community High School student Elizabeth Stone’s Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy (KYLA) project. Since the beginning of the program, over 150 honorees have been recognized. She has since graduated college and her mentor, Miechi Petro, and Elizabeth’s mother, Megan Stone, oversee the coordination of the program in her absence.
After observing banners featured in other communities, Elizabeth was motivated to bring the project to the greater Warsaw area. She was also inspired by her older brother, Lt. Nate Stone, 2012 WCHS graduate and KYLA member who has also served in the Navy since 2016, stated the release.
The hope of the program is to recognize and honor those individuals who have served or are currently serving the country’s military, to build and strengthen a spirit of community and patriotism and to enhance the beauty of the Warsaw downtown community, according to the release.
The 2025 banners honor the following individuals:
• U.S. Army, Tech 4 Forrest "Buck" Hamman, World War II, earning 2 Bronze Stars
• U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Brian Klinger, 1990-2011
• U.S. Navy, Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class Francis Eugene Swain, World War II
• Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Nicholas Adams, Global War on Terrorism
• U.S. Navy Gunners Mate 3rd Class Wade H. Jarrette, World War I
• U.S. Army Specialist 4 Kenneth C. Locke, Cold War Era
• U.S. Army Private 2nd Class Charles Fletcher Sr., 1956-1961
• U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kirk Swaidner, 1981-1987
• U.S. Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic Randall J. Weaver, Global War on Terrorism
• U.S. Army Specialist 4 William Cook, Vietnam
• U.S. Army Specialist 4 Gaylord Johnston, 1958-1961
• U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. John Peyton, Vietnam
• Air National Guard Sgt. Jim Tague, 1965-1971
• U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. John Skeel, Vietnam
• U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Laura Beeson Maddin, Global War on Terrorism
• U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Ellis N Cox, D-Day Battle of Normandy, Purple Heart recipient
• U.S. Marine Corps,Lance Corp. Amie Ridley Bruielly, Iraq
• U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Colten Stafford, 2020-2025
• U.S. Army Specialist 4th Class Fred Zolman, Vietnam
• U.S. Army Private 1st Class Gene Zolman, World War II
• U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Chris Boutcher, Iraq
• U.S. Army Specialist Kerry Boggs, Vietnam
• U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corp. Clayton Wood, Global War on Terrorism
• U.S. Army Sgt. Jake Stone, Vietnam
• U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Stapleton, 1991-2010, KIA
• U.S. Army Homer Murphy, Battle of the Bulge, WWII, KIA.
Unique to this cycle, Ellis Cox, who served in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne in World War II, was part of the 508 Parachute infantry in the D-Day Battle of Normandy. Cox earned a Purple Heart.
Additionally, Forrest Buck was awarded two Bronze Stars.
Two military personnel who were killed in action, Petty Officer 3rd class Scott Stapleton and Private Homer Murphy, were also honored with banners.
Also, the Warsaw Noon Optimist group, led by Kathy Hammond, surprised the veterans in their group by honoring each of them with a banner. These members include William Cook, Gaylord Johnston, John Peyton, Tim Tague and John Skeel, each serving in various capacities of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Sponsor Linda Swaidner ordered a banner for her father to be featured downtown. She also ordered an additional banner to be hung in his nursing home facility to further honor her father. She shared there are other veterans living in the nursing home community and she hopes they will enjoy sharing their stories with others.
All current and past sponsors, honorees, family, friends and veterans are invited to attend a special gathering on Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Kosciusko County Courthouse Square. 2024 banners will be returned to sponsors at this time and 2025 honorees will be recognized. A short program and refreshments will be provided.
Sponsors can request an application for the 2026 Veterans Day cycle by emailing warsawsalutesyou@gmail.com.
Banners are offered to the first 25 completed applicants. To qualify, honorees must be active duty or have served in the United States Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard or National Guard. The honorees must be former or current residents of the greater Warsaw area.
The cost of the banner is $65. Applicants can also renew their banners for a cost of $40 (limited availability). Following the one-year cycle display, the banners are cleaned and returned to the sponsors as a memorial keepsake.
For more information, contact Megan Stone at 574-527-3723.
