Naperville Salutes

The City of Naperville is proud to recognize and pay tribute to Naperville’s military heroes for their sacrifice and service through the Naperville Salutes street banner program.

This joint effort between the City of Naperville, VFW, Naperville Public Arts Task Force, Naperville Park District, Naperville Heritage Society, Freedom Heroes of Naperville and Naperville Responds for Veterans serves as a living tribute for our community to honor past and present members of the Armed Forces and their family members.

All veterans, even those not featured in a current banner cycle, are available for viewing on the Naperville Salutes banner location map located under the “Not Currently installed – See their story” section within two weeks of application submission.

About the Program

Naperville Salutes provides the opportunity for a member of the public to nominate an active duty service member or veteran to be honored with a street banner that will be hung from a City light post in various locations throughout town. The banners will be prominently displayed on Jefferson Street from Mill Street to the river, Mill Street from the BNSF train tracks to Jackson Street, on the Naperville Riverwalk near Centennial Beach and Central Park.

Nomination Process

Those interested in nominating a veteran must submit a nomination form online. The program requires the submission of a high-resolution digital image of the honoree in official uniform. By nominating a family member, the requestor is giving the City permission to include the information on the banner and website. 

Due to the limited number of banner sites available, applicants will be selected at random. Chosen applicants will be notified by City staff once an installation date has been determined. Nominees who are not chosen for the 2022 calendar year will be placed on a waiting list for future installations. Completing a nomination form does not guarantee reservation or banner approval. 

Eligibility

To be eligible, a veteran, living or deceased, must have resided in Naperville at some point in his or her life.

Gift Program

Whether for the holidays, a birthday or just because, a Naperville Salutes banner is a unique and meaningful gift to honor your military hero’s sacrifice and service.

Those interested in nominating a current or former service member as a gift should submit a nomination form online with a note that the banner is intended as a gift.

Once approved, the City will provide details about when the banner will be placed and a printable e-card for presentation to the recipient. After each display cycle is complete, banners will be available for pickup by honorees or their sponsors to become a special keepsake. By nominating an individual, the requestor is giving the City permission to include their image and name on the banner and website.

View a sample of the printable e-card

About the Banners

The banners, designed by the Naperville Public Arts Task Force, are double-sided and include the veteran's name, service photo and branch of military.

Banner Locations and Lifespan

The City intends to hang the banners twice a year for a 60- to 90-day period. The first installation of banners will be displayed in honor of Memorial Day in May through mid-July. A second round of banners will be hung in August through November in honor of Veterans Day.

Banners will be displayed during the specified timeframes on designated street light poles at the following locations:

• Jefferson Street from Mill Street to the river (2 per street light)
• Mill Street from BNSF to Jackson (2 per street light)
• Naperville Riverwalk (near Centennial Beach) (1 per street light) 
• Downtown Naperville in Central Park (1 per street light) 

Approximately 150 banners are available for each 60- to 90-day period in 2022. Banners on the roadways are 30 inches by 60 inches and banners on the Riverwalk are 18 inches by 36 inches. All honoree information and photos, including those not displayed in the current banner cycle, will also be displayed on the Naperville Salutes banner location map.

View the Naperville Salutes Banner Map

Banner sites may be added or removed at the discretion of the City. Banners will be given to the honoree or honoree's family upon removal. 

The following organizations make this program possible: The VFW, Naperville Responds for Veterans, Naperville Park District, Naperville Heritage Society, Freedom Heroes of Naperville, Naperville Public Arts Task Force, James Hoch Photography