Military Tribute Banners are Displayed on Main Street, Bridgeport
By Julie Perine on November 05, 2025
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Lining downtown Bridgeport are tribute banners honoring past and present U.S. Service men and women. Featuring photos, service branch, years of service and wars during which he or she served, the banners stretch a portion of Main Street from just East of the Benedum Civic Center to the Main Street/Fifth Street intersection.
The banners – 24x40 inches and featuring a patriotic design – hang on utility poles and each banner can be seen by both westbound and eastbound traffic.
“We’ve honored 27 veterans, and they were placed on each side of the Bridgeport Veterans Memorial,” said Bridgeport Recreation Coordinator Amy Callahan who spearheaded the project. “The banners will be up through the middle of January.”
The city began promoting the program in early October. The banners- were purchased and ordered by individuals to honor family members. A portion of the cost was donated to the local Wreaths Across America program, which is responsible for placing pine wreaths during the holiday season on the graves of all veterans laid to rest at Bridgeport Cemetery.
A total of $1,200 was raised for the Wreaths Across America program, a national program implemented locally in 2016 by Christa Parker to honor all veterans including her late son PFC Garrett Parker.
"I had all the emotions driving down Main Street (Tuesday) morning looking at each of the banners," she said. "Smiling, seeing faces to names that I've said out loud for the past nine years, a heavy heart, knowing that some of them are no longer with us, and proud - as an Army brat mom - for these veterans that proudly served."
The $1,200 raised through the military banner program will purchase more than 100 wreaths for veterans' graves. This year’s ceremony is set for Saturday, Dec. 13 at Bridgeport Cemetery.
"We thank Amy Callahan for this great fundraiser and for helping Team Bridgeport honor our veterans," Parker said.
Once banners come down in mid-January, families are welcome to pick them up at the Benedum Civic Center and take them home. Alternatively, the city will store them until the program returns in 2026.
Those who missed the opportunity to purchase a banner will get that chance. Callahan said the program will take place the next calendar year, either during Veterans Day again or perhaps earlier in the year, closer to Memorial Day.
Stay up to date through the City of Bridgeport’s Facebook page and the Connect-Bridgeport website.
In addition to placing the military tribute banners, City of Bridgeport workers also placed holiday banners which run on in the vicinity of Benedum Civic Center and west on Main Street.
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