Waterloo Times

The City of Waterloo and its partners will host a ribbon cutting and dedication of the Veterans Way Walk of Honor banner installation along East and West 4th Street in Downtown Waterloo. The event will take place from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on Thursday, May 25th in Lincoln Park in Downtown Waterloo. Families and friends of local Veterans for whom a banner has been purchased are encouraged to attend as well as the general public.

The event will begin with the presentation of colors by East High ROTC, singing of the National Anthem, with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Frank Magsamen. Comments will be made by Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart, Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs Director Yolando Loveless, with a ribbon cutting lead by the Grow Cedar Valley Ambassadors and Main Street Waterloo.

“This celebration marks the first of many of the Veterans Way projects coming to completion including the Cedar River Bridge Lighting and Sullivan Brothers Memorial,” says Mayor Hart. “But these banners are what really give the corridor a sense of family, a sense of community and deep personal pride. They make it uniquely ours by honoring our loved ones and sharing their stories and photos. I know it will be a very emotional event for me and others as we see the banner honoring our family members in such a beautiful way.”
Guests are encouraged to walk the 16 blocks of East and West Fourth Street to view the banners. Guides from the Exchange Club of Waterloo will be on hand to assist those looking for a specific Veteran. Printed guides will be also be available. In addition, a QR code is on display along the route linking to a website showcasing each honoree with a brief bio of their military history.

“The Veteran’s Way banners provide a visible way to give much-deserved honor and recognition to our local Veterans and we are excited for the upcoming kick-off,” shared Matt Trueg, President of the Exchange Club of Waterloo. “The community has been very supportive and we were very pleased with the response this year, and we have already had interest in next year’s line-up. Exchange is proud to be a partner for this important project to support our Veterans”

Veterans Way Art & History Walk Veterans Way is a place-based art and history walk connected through a walkable curation with thematic elements, honoring Waterloo's rich history of military service. The Walk of Honor banner project is a partnership of Main Street Waterloo, Experience Waterloo and Waterloo Exchange Club with the City. The Exchange Club is responsible for sale and promotion of the banners. Main Street oversees logistics and Experience Waterloo provides web support and graphic design.

These banners will stay in place thru Veterans Day, November 11, 2023. At that time they will be presented to those who purchased the banner. Applications for 2024 Veterans Way Walk of Honor banners will go on sale fall 2023.

Those interested in purchasing a banner for the 2024 season can contact the Exchange Club of Waterloo at ExchangeClubOfWaterloo@gmail.com
A map and listing of all venues along Waterloo Veterans Way, the Sullivan Brothers, and donor information can be found at WaterlooVeteransWay.com. 

Original source can be found here.