23-05-2025
Pennsylvania community honors 69 veterans with Hometown Hero banners ahead of Memorial Day
Ahead of Memorial Day, a community in Delaware County is paying tribute to those who put their lives on the line to protect our country.
A group of volunteers hung 69 Hometown Hero banners on Friday to honor local veterans in Darby Township. Each banner is adorned with the veteran's name, portrait and branch of service.
Barry Merlino, Darby Township's tax collector, spearheaded the effort. He said he saw other communities in Delco honoring their veterans with banners and felt it was important to do the same in the township's Briarcliffe neighborhood.
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"I'm a veteran, and I just think that it beautifies the community," Merlino said. "It says that we are very thankful for the time that men and women have served in our armed forces."
One of those hometown heroes is Ed MacDonald, an Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War.
"Now that you know it's there, my kids can see it," MacDonald said. "I've sent my kids a text message already, and they're just shocked. You know, they're so great. They love it."
MacDonald said looking at his banner, located at Ashland Avenue and MacDade Boulevard, is an emotional experience.
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"I was extremely honored – proud because it's something that I did," MacDonald said. "I jumped out of that airplane. I went to Vietnam. I served with good, good people."
Joe Moffit from Ridley Township asked volunteers to put up a Hometown Hero banner for his brother Thomas Moffitt, an Army veteran who lives in New Jersey.
"Some of my family members know, but this is a surprise for my brother Tommy," Joe Moffit said. "He's going to love it."
Moffitt said he hopes these banners serve to educate and inspire the community.
