WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — John Umlauf has been following the discussion in town about a proposal to bring the Hometown Heroes banner program to Williamstown.

 

He just is not sure why it is a matter of debate.

 

"There's a breadth to this discussion that the opponents have distilled into a couple of issues that really aren't relevant or pertinent when you look at the whole picture," Umlauf said. "It is about service. It is about community. It is about family. It is about recognizing and honoring those who have written that [blank] check and had it cashed."

 

On Saturday morning, Umlauf and fellow veteran Charles Roberts sat down at the Michael Kennedy American Legion Post 152 headquarters to talk about what the Hometown Heroes banner program means to them and how much they look forward to seeing the program come to the northwest corner of the commonwealth.

 

The pair showed off artifacts collected by the local Legion post over the years, including a recognition of Charles White Whittlesey, a Pittsfield High graduate and Williams College alum who earned the Medal of Honor for his leadership of the "Lost Battalion" in World War I.

 

"The level of service in this community is just incredible," said Umlauf, who noted that another Medal of Honor winner who fought in the Civil War is buried in the town's East Lawn Cemetery.

 

Roberts said he was "upset" when he first read about Monday's Select Board meeting, where several residents asked the panel to disallow the placement of the Heroes banners on utility poles in town.