News Release

WARSAW — The ninth cycle of military banners is now on display along East Market Street in Warsaw.

The 27 banners honor veterans and memorial honorees who have served our country.

The banners were relocated to the East Market Street corridor this year in
cooperation with the Warsaw Street Department and will remain on display for
one year.

The community is invited to take a drive or stroll along East Market
Street to view the banners and honor the men recognized for their military
service.

A Community Tradition Rooted in Service

The “Warsaw Salutes You” Banner Program began in 2020 as the KYLA (Kosciusko
Youth Leadership Academy) project of Warsaw Community High School student
Elizabeth Stone. Since its beginning, nearly 200 banners have been displayed
throughout the greater Warsaw area.

The program is now managed by volunteers Miechi Petro and Megan Stone,
former Navy moms, who oversee the application process, manage details and
maintain the integrity of the program.

After seeing military banners displayed in other communities, Elizabeth was
motivated to bring the program to the Warsaw area. She was also inspired by her
older brother, Lieutenant Nate Stone, a 2012 WCHS graduate who served as a
submariner in the United States Navy from 2016–2024.

The mission of the “Warsaw Salutes You” program is to recognize and honor
individuals who have served or are currently serving in the United States military
while building and strengthening a spirit of community, gratitude and patriotism.

The 2026 banners honor the following individuals:

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth L. Murphy – Vietnam War
U.S. Navy Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Wade H. Jarrette – World War I
U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Ellis Cox – D-Day, Battle of Normandy; Purple
Heart recipient
U.S. Army Specialist David Cox – Vietnam War
U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Christopher R. Brown – Global War on
Terrorism
U.S. Army Corporal Donal E. Neer – Korean War
U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Tom Gatke – Vietnam War
U.S. Army/Army National Guard Captain Travis Christman – Global War on
Terrorism
U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Steven Hettler – Vietnam War
U.S. Army/Army National Guard Sergeant Adam L. Young – Global War on
Terrorism
U.S. Army Tech 4 Forrest “Buck” Hamman – World War II
U.S. Army Private 1st Class Gene Zolman, 82nd Airborne – World War II
U.S. Army Corporal Clifford L. Pifer – World War II
U.S. Army/U.S. Air Force Brian Klinger – 1990–2011
U.S. Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant William C. Florentine, Jr., POW –
World War II; 338th Fighter Squadron
U.S. Machinist Mate 2nd Class Thames “Freddy” Norris – World War II
U.S. Army Sergeant Jacob C. Bradley – 2018–2025
U.S. Army Sergeant David L. Breske – Global War on Terrorism
U.S. Army Private 1st Class Ernest D. Long – World War II
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Stapleton – 1991–2010
U.S. Army Private 2nd Class Charles Fletcher, Sr. – 1956–1961
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kirk Swaidner – 1981–1987
U.S. Army Private Homer Murphy – KIA, Battle of the Bulge, World War II
U.S. Navy Gunners Mate Missiles Roger Bower – Korean War
U.S. Army Sergeant Bryan C. Mendenhall – Vietnam War
U.S. Army Specialist 4th Class Stan Leedy – Vietnam War

Mendenhall and Leedy were sponsored by the Warsaw VFW Post 1126 Auxiliary.
Each honoree has a personal story of service, commitment and sacrifice.

According to program coordinator Megan Stone, “It is a privilege for us to learn
the details of each personal story and recognize each veteran for their
accomplishments and sometimes ultimate sacrifice.”

Among this year’s banners are three honorees who were killed in action,
identified on their banners by the dagger symbol: Private Homer Murphy, who
was killed during Battle of the Bulge in World War II; Thames “Freddy” Norris,
who was killed in action on November 13, 1943, during the Bougainville Campaign
in the Solomon Islands; and Scott Stapleton, sponsored by Natasha Stapleton.

The program cycle features honorees William C. Florentine, Jr., a World War II
prisoner of war, whose banner was sponsored by Johnny Butler, Ellis Cox – D-Day,
Battle of Normandy, Purple Heart recipient sponsored by Michael Cox, and double
bronze star recipient Forrest “Buck” Hamman sponsored by Gary Hamman.

This year’s cycle also recognizes Captain Travis Christman, who was born and
raised in Whitley County. Travis graduated from Whitko High School in 2005 and
Ball State University in 2009. Just two weeks after earning his bachelor’s degree,
he boarded a bus for Fort Benning, Georgia, beginning what would become an 11-
year commitment to serving his country.

Travis enlisted in the United States Army as an infantryman and served with the
3rd Infantry Division. After two years of active-duty service, he transitioned to the
Indiana Army National Guard, joining the 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment
in Fort Wayne.

He served as a rifleman and squad designated marksman before attending Officer
Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy. Following OCS and the
Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course, Travis served as an Infantry Platoon Leader,
Company Executive Officer, Battalion Operations Officer and Company
Commander.

Throughout his military career, Travis served both at home and abroad. His
overseas assignments included a NATO training mission in Slovakia and a Pacific
Pathways mission spanning Australia, Indonesia and Japan. He led soldiers
through demanding training exercises, joint missions and deployments,
consistently demonstrating the leadership, discipline and determination expected
of an Army officer.

In 2020, Travis’s service took on a new and unexpected role when he was
activated to lead 183 Indiana Guardsmen providing 24/7 security at a maximum-
security state prison during the COVID-19 pandemic. After seven months, he was
selected to serve as District Operations Officer at Indiana National Guard
headquarters in Indianapolis, overseeing the deployment of more than 2,000
Guardsmen responding to the pandemic across the state.

Travis ultimately resigned his commission in September 2020, concluding 11 years
of dedicated military service. His decorations include the Air Assault Badge, two
Army Commendation Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Army
Achievement Medals, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, and the
Sergeant Major Asa Blanchard Award for Courage, Will and Steadfast
Determination.

According to his sponsor, Lindsay Christman, “Travis’s 11 years of service
represent a lasting commitment to his country and fellow Hoosiers. From serving
overseas to leading Indiana Guardsmen through one of the state’s most
challenging periods, he consistently answered the call to serve wherever he was
needed. His legacy of leadership, courage, perseverance, and commitment to
others continues to reflect the values of the Indiana National Guard and the
community he proudly calls home.”

A Banner with Special Meaning
Those traveling along East Market Street may notice one banner displayed farther
from the others. This placement is intentional.

An application was submitted by Mary Cole in honor of her father, Clifford Pifer,
and his banner is being displayed in front of her childhood home on East Market
Street.

Applications Open for the 2027 Cycle

Sponsors interested in honoring a veteran during the 2027 Veterans Day cycle
may request an application by emailing warsawsalutesyou@gmail.com. Banners
are available to the first 25 completed applicants.

To qualify, honorees must be active-duty or have served in the United States
Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or National Guard and must be
a former or current resident of the greater Warsaw area.

The cost of a new banner is $65, renewal cost with no changes is $40. Following
the one-year display cycle, banners are cleaned and returned to the applicants as
a memorial keepsake.

The “Warsaw Salutes You” program extends special thanks to Graycraft Printing
for its excellence and to the Warsaw Street Department for its support and
cooperation.

The community is encouraged to visit the “Warsaw Salutes You” Facebook page
for featured photographs and stories of the banners.

For more information, contact Megan Stone at 574-527-3723 or email her here.

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