WEST HAVEN — If you walk Bradley Point Park today, look up. Forty-five banners honoring West Haven veterans are flying along the Veterans Walk of Honor, and Veterans Day is the last day to see them this year.
Mayor Dorinda Borer dedicated the “West Haven Proudly Honors” banners at a ceremony Saturday morning, Nov. 7, with dozens of veterans and their families gathered along the shoreline walk, the city said in a Nov. 9 announcement.
Faces of the neighbors who served
Each 30-by-60-inch banner shows a veteran’s photo in uniform, service branch and the war or era they served in, including Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. They hang from the lampposts along the walkway on Long Island Sound. Borer read all 45 names at the ceremony.
Among those honored is the city’s only Medal of Honor recipient, World War II Army Pfc. William A. Soderman, who the city says distinguished himself in December 1944 defending a key road junction near Rocherath, Belgium. Soderman died in 1980. Borer spoke in front of the black granite memorial to him in the park.
“When you look up at these banners, you will see the faces of our neighbors, our friends and our family members,” Borer said. “They serve as a daily reminder of the price of our freedom and the strength of our community.”
Down for winter, back for Memorial Day
The banners stay up through Veterans Day, then come down for the winter to protect them, the mayor said. They are to go back up in time for Memorial Day and fly through Veterans Day every year.
The program, announced in August, was advertised in the newspaper and on social media, and 45 families came forward to buy banners. Borer said more families have already asked for a second round. “I will work on this in 2027,” she said.
The dedication drew Municipal Veterans Representative Rich Deso, state Rep. Bill Heffernan and City Council members Gary Donovan, David Beaton and Meli Garthwait. Rick Spreyer, the mayor’s chief of staff, was master of ceremonies.
The city has posted the full list of the 45 honorees.
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