Hometown Heroes program continues to grow

NORWALK — The Hometown Heroes program in Norwalk has 181 banners.

The city celebrated the third annual dedication with a ceremony May 19, 2023 at Suhr Family Park. The pilot program started in 2020 with 24 banners. Currently, 181 veterans are honored on East and West Main streets as well as Whittlesey and Benedict avenues.

Heather Chapman Smith, of Norwalk, led the crowd in singing the national anthem.

“It’s an honor for the city to even think of me, to invite me to do such a thing. This year is just a little extra special because I got married last year and my husband is a veteran. I put a banner up in his honor,” she said.

Heather Chapman Smith, of Norwalk, leads the crowd at Suhr Family Park in singing “The Star Spangled Banner” during the third annual dedication of the Hometown Heroes banner program. Her husband, Joel Smith, served in the U.S. Coast Guard. PHOTO BY CARY ASHBY/HCVSO

Elaine Lochner honored her two uncles who served in World War II, Donald and Robert Janotta.

“My mother enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps, in the hopes that (she would be) seeing her babies. Communicating through letters, they planned to meet in Salerno, Italy in a few weeks. However, this was not to be, as Donnie’s division left for England and Donnie soon lost his life.”

Janotta was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 505 Paratrooper Division of the U.S. Army. He saw action in Sicily and Salerno, and the invasions of Normandy and Belgium. He earned the Purple Heart and Silver Star medals and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Jugz & Thugz performs after the third annual dedication of the Hometown Heroes banner program in Norwalk. PHOTO BY CARY ASHBY/HCVSO

“Donnie parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, but because of heavy cloud cover, he missed his drop location and was immediately captured by the Germans. He somehow escaped, hid in a ditch and went to a French farm, where they fed him and gave him civilian clothes. He eventually was able to get back to the 82nd,” Lochner said.

“In England, Donnie broke his foot in a parachute jump while preparing for the invasion of Holland. He spent time in the hospital and went back to Belgium, where he received his fatal wounds and died Jan. 4, 1945.”

Robert Janotta enlisted in the Army in 1942. He served at Fort Benjamin in Indiana, where he taught soldiers to read and write. Afterward, he returned to work with his father, John Janotta, in the building business then known as Janotta & Sons, which later became Janotta & Herner.

“Stories like this have been passed down through generations. I want to leave everyone with one thought: Keep sharing these stories with your family members, so one day you can honor your family’s heroes,” Lochner said.