NEWPORT, Ky. — The city of Newport celebrated Independence Day by unveiling banners honoring active duty service members and veterans with ties to the city. Those banners now line city streets.

What You Need To Know

  • Family members of military veterans and many veterans themselves receieved a special pair of scissors to cut the ribbons on new banners lining the streets of Newport, honoring its hometown heroes

  • Of the 24 banners unveiled, two of them were the father–son combo of Mark Sebastian and Herman Sebastian

  • The Sebastian men said they hoped while people were enjoying the day, they took a moment to think about those who gave it all to preserve the country’s independence

  • The city plans to keep adding to its list of hometown heroes

The day began with a packed house at Newport City Hall.

Family members of military veterans and many veterans themselves were there to receive a special pair of scissors, which they would use to the ribbons on new banners lining the streets of Newport, honoring its hometown heroes.

Spectrum News 1 spoke to several of them.

“Just a very special person. When he passed away, they gave him a military funeral,” Charles Adams said of his father, Ray Adams, “It’s just great. I just don’t even have the words for it.”

Kelly Laskey described her father, Tom Laskey.

“This man’s funeral was so long, when we went in it was light out, when we came out it was dark,” she said. “It’s an honor. Being his daughter has been nothing but great memories.”

Barbara Hawkins became emotional when asked about her brother Ralph Hawkins.

“He was just the most loving, and caring person that I know of. He would do anything for anybody. He was just that type of person,” she said.

Of the 24 banners unveiled, two of them were the father–son combo of Mark Sebastian and Herman Sebastian.

“It means a lot. I think it’s pretty good the community has done something like this for all the veterans,” Mark said.

“It’s a wonderful thing that they’re doing for us in recognizing the veterans here in Newport,” Herman said. “And we think they ought to do it a little more often.”

For the two of them to celebrate together, “that’s a good thing, too,” Herman added.

They got to spend some time with the rest of their family as well, as families across the country did on Independence Day. The Sebastian men said they hoped while people were enjoying the day, they took a moment to think about those who gave it all to preserve the country’s independence.

“We got to keep it alive, keep it going for kids and our grandchildren, and everybody that comes along after that,” Mark Sebastian said.

The initial banners displayed on Monmouth Street are just the start. The city plans to keep adding to its list of hometown heroes.

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