11/09/2026
🇺🇸 As Veterans Day approaches, another season of Mercersburg Hometown Heroes is coming to an end. 🇺🇸
Every year, we have the honor of seeing the faces of the brave men and women who have answered our nation’s call. We get to see their younger faces, remember the sacrifices they’ve made, and recognize the pride and honor they carried when they chose to defend this country. As much as we love seeing those banners hanging throughout our town, it’s always bittersweet when the time comes to take them down.
After Veterans Day, we will begin the process of removing the banners for the season. It may take us a little longer than usual this year, as my health has taken another hit, but one thing I want everyone to know is that I refuse to give up on this program or the vision we have for it.
Some people may look at us and see a couple of people who hang banners. And right now, that’s exactly what we are. Just two or three people putting in the work, climbing poles, rolling banners, making repairs, organizing, and doing whatever it takes to keep this program going.
But we see something much bigger.
Our goal has never been to simply hang banners. We want Mercersburg Hometown Heroes to become something that makes a difference throughout our entire community. Right now, we are able to make one donation each year to a local nonprofit or a family in need. Sometimes, that donation even comes out of our own pockets because our funding is limited, and we are careful about how we spend the donations entrusted to us.
But imagine what we could do if we grew.
We want to be able to contribute to Secret Santa back in our town and bless families who could use a little extra Christmas magic. We want to organize events for veterans, giving them a place to come together, share their stories, and know that their service and sacrifices haven’t been forgotten. We want to support families, give back to the community, and create opportunities that go far beyond the banners hanging on our streets.
We may be a small organization today, but please don’t lose sight of us. Our name may still be small, but our vision certainly isn’t. We have plans to grow, and we intend to work hard to make those plans a reality.
None of this would have been possible without the veterans and their families who trusted us with their loved ones’ names, stories, and service. Five years ago, we moved to this town knowing not a single person. Today, we have the privilege of helping run a program in a community that takes tremendous pride in its veterans and continues to show up for one another.
To everyone who shares our posts, spreads the word, donates, volunteers, or simply takes a moment to tell us how much the banners mean to them, THANK YOU.
And especially to the veterans who, as we like to say, “Took the Call.”
Without you, we would just be a couple of people hanging banners. You trusted us with something that means more than we could ever put into words. You allowed a small family who was once new to this town to become part of something much bigger.
We have fallen off ladders, climbed poles until we’ve bled, rolled every banner with care, and spent money out of our own pockets when it was needed to keep this program alive. Every banner is handled with love because, to us, that name isn’t just a name anymore. That person becomes family.
And I want to make one thing very clear: We do not get paid for this, and we never intend to.
As a veteran myself, I know what it means to answer the call and sign that line. I didn’t do it for recognition, glory, or a paycheck. I did it for this country, for my family, and for people I would never meet. Some of our nation’s heroes paid the ultimate price, and there will never be a dollar amount that could repay that sacrifice.
So I will never take a paycheck for helping recognize the men and women who gave so much of themselves for us.
We do this because we love our country. We do this because we love our community. Most importantly, we do this because our heroes deserve to know they are remembered, appreciated, and supported.
This season may be coming to an end, but our mission is nowhere near finished.
Here’s to another season behind us, another season ahead of us, and a future where Mercersburg Hometown Heroes can do even more for the people who have given so much.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in us. ❤️🇺🇸
With gratitude,
Cody & Josey Morris
Owners & Operators
Mercersburg Hometown Heroes
📞 304-240-4171
đź“§ [email protected]