Hometown Hero Banner Project

Honoring Our Local Veterans with Gratitude, Love, and Lasting Tribute

In 2022, the Chamberlain Oacoma Area Chamber of Commerce proudly launched the Hometown Hero Banner Project — a deeply meaningful initiative created to honor the brave men and women from our communities who served in the United States Armed Forces.

Since its inception, 110 personalized banners have been designed and displayed with love, care, and reverence — each one honoring a veteran from one of our nation’s military branches:

  • U.S. Army

  • U.S. Navy

  • U.S. Marine Corps

  • U.S. Air Force

  • U.S. Coast Guard

  • U.S. National Guard

Each banner tells a story — a legacy of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to country. These banners are not mass-produced; they are individually created in-house by working closely with veterans and their families, capturing the details, emotions, and honor behind each name.

In partnership with the City of Chamberlain, we’ve proudly displayed these banners on light poles throughout our town — lining our streets with reminders of the sacrifices made by our local heroes.

One family member said it best:

“Seeing my Dad’s banner makes me feel like our communities are guarded and protected by some incredible guardian angels.”

The stories shared through this project are powerful. One mother, while completing the banner application for her son who received a Purple Heart, recalled:

“I’ll never forget the day we got the call that he was seriously injured. My heart stopped.”

Another banner honors a local resident who was present at Mount Suribachi during the historic flag raising at Iwo Jima — a connection to one of the most iconic moments in American military history.

And for one veteran, the sight of the Cobra helicopter at the South Dakota Veteran’s Park stirred a memory that will never leave him:

“The sound of a Cobra meant we were rescued. It was — and still is — a sound of comfort.”

This project has been more than a display. It has been monumental, emotionally moving, and community-strengthening. Through each banner, we preserve not just names, but living legacies — a wall of honor made visible in the heart of our towns.

To all who served:
We see you. We remember you. We thank you.
And to every family who shared their loved one’s story — thank you for trusting us with your hero.

A–G

A

  • Adamson, Jimmie

  • Allen, Darl Richard

  • Allen, Ricky Dean

  • Andera, Kenneth

  • Andera, Leonard

  • Andera, Timothy

  • Anderson, Ken

B

  • Barger, Orrion R.

  • Basting, Randy S.

  • Beckman, Ervin R.

  • Benson, Zachariah Joseph

  • Biggers, Edward

  • Biggers, Ronnie

  • Brandstrom Jr., Lyle M.

  • Brooks, Terry O.

  • Brown, Brett

  • Brown, Richard

  • Bunnell, Mitch Douglas

  • Burkard, William Paul

C

  • Casey, Mark V.

  • Cozard, William G.

D

  • DeBoar, George

  • DeHaai, Lyle Lee

  • Dockter, Ervin John

  • Dorwart, Lee Edward

  • Douville II., Robert Carl

  • Douville Sr., Robert “Bobby” Carl

  • Douville, Mark Chaning

  • Douville, Vern

  • Douville, William Dale

  • Dyce, Graydon Walter

E

  • Englund, Jonathan

F

  • Fees, Byron H.

  • Fees, Jerry W.

  • Feltman, Doug

G

  • Graves, Gene Andrew

  • Guest, Adam J.

  • Guest, George Dudley

  • Gunter, Harold L.

H–M

H

  • Hansen, Neil E.

  • Hansen, William H.

  • Hanzlik, Mike

  • Harris, Richard

  • Harrison, Ronald Terry Sr.

  • Hass, Robert “Bob”

  • Healy, Martin Edward

  • Healy, Timothy Joseph

  • Hieb, Allan

  • Holan, LaVaun Lawrence

  • Holan, Waylon Ray

  • Houska, Raymond James

  • Houska, Robert B.

  • Houska, Thomas E.

  • Hutmacher, James Allen

I

  • Iversen, Casey

  • Iversen, LW “Skip”

J

  • Johnson, Wesley

  • Jones, James C.

  • Jones, Ryan W.

K

  • Keiner, Robert

  • Kirkie, Melby

  • Kirkie, Richard

  • Konechne, Patrick Francis

L

  • Lake, Brian

  • Larsen, Adam B.

  • Leiferman, Richard D.

  • Lewis, Bennie E.

  • Lewis, Milton F. “Sam”

  • Lytle, Jerald Kenneth

M

  • Mayer, Glenn

  • Mayer, John

  • McDonald, Ross

  • McManus, Larry

  • Michels, Roger D.

  • Miller, Paul

  • Miller, Russell Wilson

N–S

N

  • Neeman, Lonnie B.

  • Nelson, Paul Richard

  • Norman Jr., Wallace

O

  • Olivier, Kris

  • Osterberg, Keith

  • Ott, Heinrich

P

  • Peddycourt, Christopher

  • Peddycourt, Joseph

  • Perez Jr., Alexander

  • Pickner Sr., Roland

  • Potter, Carl C.

  • Potter, Oscar L.

R

  • Rank, Melvin

S

  • Saukerson, Wilbur Wayne

  • Scharf, Louis

  • Schaub, Edward E.

  • Schaub, Leroy R.

  • Schindler, Colin

  • Scholl, Mark

  • Selland, Knute

  • Shaffer, Dwayne B.

  • Soulek, Kenneth L.

  • Stallman, William Henry

  • Steckelberg, Kodi

  • Steinfeld, John

  • Stewart-Mines, Kimberly Kaye

  • Swanson, Harold Benjamin

  • Swanson, Paul Thomas

T–Z

T

  • Talich, Haven

  • Thiel, Boyd

  • Thiel, Travis

  • Thompson, Avery

V

  • Vaad, Jerome Conrad

W

  • Wall, Cynthia S.

  • Waysman, Dale “Bam”

  • Waysman, Wayne

  • Weisz, Michael

  • Wells, James

  • Wood, Sean

Z

  • Zeman, Donald Wayne

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: A

  • Adamson, Jimmie

  • Allen, Darl Richard

  • Allen, Ricky Dean

  • Andera, Kenneth

  • Andera, Leonard

  • Andera, Timothy

  • Anderson, Ken

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: B

  • Barger, Orrion R.

  • Basting, Randy S.

  • Beckman, Ervin R.

  • Benson, Zachariah Joseph

  • Biggers, Edward

  • Biggers, Ronnie

  • Brandstrom Jr., Lyle M.

  • Brooks, Terry O.

  • Brown, Brett

  • Brown, Richard

  • Bunnell, Mitch Douglas

  • Burkard, William Paul

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: C

  • Casey, Mark V.

  • Cozard, William G.

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: D

  • DeBoar, George

  • DeHaai, Lyle Lee

  • Dockter, Ervin John

  • Dorwart, Lee Edward

  • Douville II., Robert Carl

  • Douville Sr., Robert “Bobby” Carl

  • Douville, Mark Chaning

  • Douville, Vern

  • Douville, William Dale

  • Dyce, Graydon Walter

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: E

  • Englund, Jonathan

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: F

  • Fees, Byron H.

  • Fees, Jerry W.

  • Feltman, Doug

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: G

  • Graves, Gene Andrew

  • Guest, Adam J.

  • Guest, George Dudley

  • Gunter, Harold L.

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: H

  • Hansen, Neil E.

  • Hansen, William H.

  • Hanzlik, Mike

  • Harris, Richard

  • Harrison, Ronald Terry Sr.

  • Hass, Robert “Bob”

  • Healy, Martin Edward

  • Healy, Timothy Joseph

  • Hieb, Allan

  • Holan, LaVaun Lawrence

  • Holan, Waylon Ray

  • Houska, Raymond James

  • Houska, Robert B.

  • Houska, Thomas E.

  • Hutmacher, James Allen

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: I

  • Iversen, Casey

  • Iversen, LW “Skip”

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: J

  • Johnson, Wesley

  • Jones, James C.

  • Jones, Ryan W.

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: K

  • Keiner, Robert

  • Kirkie, Melby

  • Kirkie, Richard

  • Konechne, Patrick Francis

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: L

  • Lake, Brian

  • Larsen, Adam B.

  • Leiferman, Richard D.

  • Lewis, Bennie E.

  • Lewis, Milton F. “Sam”

  • Lytle, Jerald Kenneth

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: M

  • Mayer, Glenn

  • Mayer, John

  • McDonald, Ross

  • McManus, Larry

  • Michels, Roger D.

  • Miller, Paul

  • Miller, Russell Wilson

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: N

  • Neeman, Lonnie B.

  • Nelson, Paul Richard

  • Norman Jr., Wallace

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: O

  • Olivier, Kris

  • Osterberg, Keith

  • Ott, Heinrich

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: P

  • Peddycourt, Christopher

  • Peddycourt, Joseph

  • Perez Jr., Alexander

  • Pickner Sr., Roland

  • Potter, Carl C.

  • Potter, Oscar L.

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: R

  • Rank, Melvin

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: S

  • Saukerson, Wilbur Wayne

  • Scharf, Louis

  • Schaub, Edward E.

  • Schaub, Leroy R.

  • Schindler, Colin

  • Scholl, Mark

  • Selland, Knute

  • Shaffer, Dwayne B.

  • Soulek, Kenneth L.

  • Stallman, William Henry

  • Steckelberg, Kodi

  • Steinfeld, John

  • Stewart-Mines, Kimberly Kaye

  • Swanson, Harold Benjamin

  • Swanson, Paul Thomas

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: T

  • Talich, Haven

  • Thiel, Boyd

  • Thiel, Travis

  • Thompson, Avery

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: V

  • Vaad, Jerome Conrad

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: W

  • Wall, Cynthia S.

  • Waysman, Dale “Bam”

  • Waysman, Wayne

  • Weisz, Michael

  • Wells, James

  • Wood, Sean

Hometown Heroes — Last Name: Z

  • Zeman, Donald Wayne

💙 Help Us Preserve Their Legacy

Many of our Hometown Hero banners have become weather-damaged and are in need of replacement. Your donation ensures these powerful tributes to our local veterans continue to fly proudly throughout our community.

Every dollar makes a difference.

👉 Ways to Donate:

🔹 PayPal: Donate Here
🔹 Venmo: @ChamberlainChamber
📬 By Mail: PO Box 638, Chamberlain, SD 57325
🏛 In Person: 112 N. Main St. (Chamberlain Community Center)

Thank you for helping us honor those who served. 🇺🇸

 

Hometown Hero Banner Applications Now Open!

Do you have a loved one who served in the U.S. Armed Forces? Help us honor their service by sponsoring a Hometown Hero Banner to be proudly displayed in the Chamberlain–Oacoma area.

Each banner includes your veteran’s name, photo, branch, and years of service — a powerful tribute to their sacrifice and dedication.

📝 Apply Online:
Click here to complete the application form.

💵 Cost: $120 per banner

📍 Prefer to apply in person?
Stop by our office to pick up a paper application:
Chamberlain Oacoma Area Chamber of Commerce
112 N. Main St., Chamberlain, SD (inside the Community Center)

Let’s continue to line our streets with stories of courage, service, and hometown pride.
Thank you for helping us honor our local heroes.

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