Poplarville’s Main Street Association is adding narrated QR codes to its veteran banners for its third annual Veterans Day event.
For the past three years, MSA has hosted a Veterans Day ceremony recognizing local veterans on the Town Green.
There are 155 banners displayed throughout the Town Green and city streets, including banners from previous years. This year, 66 veterans will have their names, branches of service, major commendations and years of service read aloud. The banners are displayed from April to November.
Over the last five months, MSA has been working to add narrated QR codes to the banners. Former Marine Ashton Walters is narrating the recordings. For each banner, families provided a short summary about their loved one.
“We have everything from people talking about stories that they told to people talking about how being in the military shaped the person that they became,” said Carol Williams, volunteer director of Main Street Poplarville. “We have some quite emotional stories about things that happened to the military people, such as being a prisoner of war or such as their ship that they were on being sunk.”
With the added narration, Williams hopes local students will become more interested in the veterans’ stories.
“It will help create a story for young kids, for older ones and for family members that they would have never been able to experience had we not brought this to them,” Williams said.
Williams said the QR codes could also provide a teaching opportunity by allowing students to hear stories about local people whose experiences connect with subjects they study in history classes.
This year’s ceremony will take place Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. on the Town Green. Residents are encouraged to bring their own chairs.
Contributor: Caitlynn Brady
