A newly installed display of street-pole banners along Main Street in Hazard went up this week as a public salute to Perry County men and women who served in the U.S. military. The banners, installed by a local group called Hazard Civic Fellows ahead of Veterans Day, are designed to make veterans’ service visible in the heart of town and to encourage residents to reflect on the sacrifices of family members and neighbors.

Officials said the project involved more than placing banners. City Commissioner Luke Glaser said the months-long effort also created a veterans database compiled from family photos and records. Organizers say the database is intended to preserve local military histories and to provide a central repository for the images and information families often keep in private albums and boxes.

Students participated in the initiative alongside community volunteers. Hazard High School’s Kailey Pennington was among those involved, bringing personal connections to the tribute and illustrating how the project bridged generations. Organizers plan for the banner display to become an annual feature on Main Street, with the database serving as an evolving archive that grows as more families contribute.

The immediate effect on downtown life is visual and symbolic: banners mark a public recognition of serviceers who might otherwise be overlooked in a small community. Beyond ceremony, the database could serve practical community needs. Local veterans’ advocates and health service providers in Perry County frequently emphasize the importance of outreach that is both targeted and locally informed; having a centralized set of names, photos and service records can help guide outreach efforts, memorial planning and family support initiatives.

For a county where access to veteran-specific health care and benefits outreach can be limited by geography and resources, community-led documentation efforts carry public health and social equity implications. A locally curated database can help ensure that older veterans and their families are not invisible when agencies conduct benefit enrollment drives, mental health outreach, or home-based care coordination. It also creates an archival record that recognizes the full scope of service across the county, including those who may not have been publicly acknowledged in the past.

Organizers emphasized that the project was meant to be both a visible tribute and a living resource. As the banners return annually, the database will continue to expand, offering families a way to preserve stories while providing a tool for community organizations working to connect veterans to services. For residents of Hazard and Perry County, the installation is a reminder that remembrance and practical support can be mobilized together at the local level.