HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/19/2014 - STAFF REPORTS - 00 Wednesday, March 19, 2014
From: Lee Wilson Jr./CCHS U.S. History-Palm Springs American Legion Historian
To: Palm Springs City Council
Subj: Hero Banners/Hometown Heroes
To whom it may concern:
Here is the latest on the efforts of the Palm Springs American Legion Post 519 to honor those Palm
Springs residents killed in action.
1-The Palm Springs Teachers Association (PSTA) will purchase the first two hero banners for Ming
Sun and Suresh Abayasekara Krause. We will order them in early April and they will arrive in five to
six weeks, in time for Memorial Day Ceremonies on Monday, May 26.
2-We should have at least four banners ready to go (Ming, Suresh, Owen Coffman and Roaul Prieto).
3-The American Legion believes that with a total of 26 heroes who gave their lives for their country,
they should be given the BEST location (downtown Palm Canyon, Tahquitz Canyon, City Hall).
Currently serving military heroes should line something like HWY 111 or Indian Canyon. Eventually,
there could be dozens, maybe hundreds of them.
4-The American Legion also believes that the banners for fallen heroes should be bigger than those
serving (or who have served).
5-The American Legion also supports the Palm Springs Police Officers Association (PSPOA) to have
banners of their officers killed in the line of duty hung alongside of the military heroes.
6-Over the summer, I will collect/gather photos of all those killed in action to make banners. The
Palm Springs American Legion will cover the costs of those (about 24 banners). It could take at least
a year to have all 26 banners completed.
7-Cathedral City will also participate in the hero banner project and have a ceremony for Ming,
Suresh and Officers Gibson and Vasquez who were killed in the line of duty. It will be important that
their ceremony does not occur at the same time as any Palm Springs ceremony (coordination
between your two governments is necessary).
8-The Palm Springs City Council needs to add a place on their government website for families to
order banners for themselves; similar to how other city governments have established.
9-Miss Del Toro and I will be making a media blitz to promote the idea and solicit donations for those
killed in action whose families are either deceased or have moved. Denise Goolsby from the Desert
Sun will be doing a story and radio promotions.
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10-The Palm Springs American Legion will collect and hold donations from the public to purchase
banners. Any profits made will be used for scholarships (Boys State) or other veteran causes.
Thank you very much.
Contact Information:
Lee Wilson JOCCHS U.S. History-Palm Springs American Legion Post 519 Historian
223 N. Monterey Rd.
Palm Springs, 92262
h-760 327 6217
c-760 413 0218
email-Iwilson a().dc.rr.com
Susie Del Toro/Coachella Valley Hero Banner Coordinator
c-760-567-0707
email-susiedeltoro.elsol(a)g mail.com
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