Kenduskeag’s ‘Hometown Heroes’ Banners Honor Town’s Veterans For All To See

A tight-knit community in Penobscot County is honoring its local veterans with a very special program.

Just a few years ago, Kenduskeag residents Ed and Laurie Cookson, with some help from other members of the community, James Smith and Martin and Miranda Haskin, started the "Kenduskeag Hometown Hero Banners Program" as a way to say thank you to those in the area who have served in the armed forces.

Organizers say these banners, created and displayed on poles throughout the town, each tell the story of the veteran named on the flag.

"From Memorial Day through Veterans Day, banners featuring your veteran’s name, rank, branch of service, and photo will proudly line our town — reminding all of us of the sacrifice, dedication, and courage that helped protect our freedoms."

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Currently, there are approximately 20 veterans featured on banners in Kenduskeag, but those involved in the effort would like to see that number increase.

We're told the idea originally came about when the Cooksons drove through other towns and saw similar banners honoring veterans

"It just felt right. We thought — why not here? Our veterans deserve to be recognized at home, in the community they served and loved."

Kenduskeag resident Miranda Haskin says the initiative is important to both the local veterans and their families.

"When a veteran sees their banner raised in their hometown, it isn’t just fabric on a pole. It’s their story lifted high in the very place they call home. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder that their service mattered — and still does. These banners tell our veterans, 'We see you. We thank you. We are proud you are ours.' But for families who hang a banner for someone no longer with us, it means something even deeper. It’s a way of bringing them home again. It’s seeing their name in the sunshine, knowing their sacrifice still stands tall along the same streets they once walked. It’s a child pointing up and hearing, 'That was your grandfather. That was your mom. That was our hero.'
In a small town, memory isn’t something tucked away in a drawer with medals and photographs. Memory lives out loud. It moves in the breeze down Main Street. It hangs where neighbors can look up and remember. Whether the veteran is standing beneath that banner today or watching over us in spirit, each one tells a story of service, courage, and love for community. And when those banners rise, so does our gratitude.
Because heroes don’t just live in history books — they live here. They are ours."

Organizers say that, along with an application, there are only a few requirements that need to be met to create a banner for a family member or loved one who has served:

The veteran the banner is made for needs to have served in either the Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Space Force, or be part of a branch of the Reserves.

The veteran needs to have been honorably discharged.

And they must either be a resident of Kenduskeag (who gives their permission for a banner to be created and hung up in town on display) or be buried in a cemetery in town.

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There is also a $120 fee to purchase. That price covers the creation of the banner as well as it's istallation, removal, and winter storage.

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Individuals who want to purchase a banner for a loved one who is or was a veteran simply need to reach out to either the Kenduskeag Town Office by calling (207) 884-7497 or email Laurie Cookson directly at  lcookson59@hotmail.com.

The deadline to apply for a banner is April 15th of 2026. This will allow them time to make the flags in time to install them this Memorial Day.

You can also find out more information on the project by clicking here.

Folks can get banners made up for their own veterans, or can sponsor a family they know that has a loved one who served as well.