By Shannon Lukens.

(Photos courtesy Jeff Steck.)

 

 

Banners honoring Routt County military veterans are lining Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat Springs. Seventy-one were hung on Sunday and a few more will go up next week. Most will stay up through Nov. 20, which is the week after Veterans Day.

The banners cost $100, and many were paid for by friends and family members of veterans. Loretta Kuhlman is an American Legion member and she came up with the idea.

 

Jeff Steck is the VFW Commander. He says, “Most of the banners were paid for by someone other than the veteran. Family members, friends, and some people just wanted to donate to any veteran. Many of the (American Legion and VFW) post have family members, brothers, husband and wife, father and son, father and daughters. Some of them were killed in action, and we intend to put them up again for Memorial Day. We hope to specifically honor those killed in action over Memorial Day as we have over 80 individuals who were killed in action from Routt County.”

 

Steck adds that five more banners are coming in. They aren’t here because the manufacturer is in Florida and the hurricane slowed down production. The banners will be put up for at least the next two years.

 

People donated the money as a fundraiser for the local American Legion Post 44 and VFW post 4264.