The Town of Parker is the home of many active duty members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Our community is proud to support our native sons and daughters who have elected to commit to their country during times of peace and conflict, as well as those individuals who have made Parker their home during or after their time of service.

To help celebrate our nation’s armed forces and fallen heroes, the Town established Living Wheel Park several years ago as a military tribute. This half-acre park, located just east of Parker Road on Mainstreet, features a display with flags from each branch of the U.S. military, along with multiple sculptures, benches and walking paths. A new flag arrived in this park in 2022 to honor the most recent addition to our nation’s armed forces, the U.S. Space Force.

In 2019, the Town Council decided to take our community’s commitment to honoring the military community one step further by introducing the Parker Veterans Memorial Banner Program. This program recognizes and honors Parker residents who served our country in the military and have since passed on, whether in the line of duty or following their time of service.

Veterans nominated by family members are featured on customized street light banners throughout Living Wheel Park throughout the months of May and June. Each banner honors one veteran and includes their name, branch, years of service and photo.

The Town of Parker is proud to continue this program annually. Residents are encouraged to nominate eligible veteran family members who served in one of the recognized branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and either died in the line of duty or were honorably discharged from service before their passing.

The program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Veterans from incorporated Parker will be given the first priority for recognition, followed by those who lived in either the 80134 or 80138 zip codes. If banner spaces are still available, veterans from outside of the greater Parker area who made an impact on our community may also be considered.

There is a small cost associated with this program to help assist with banner production and installation. Due to demand, nominations may only be made by the immediate family (parents, spouse, children and siblings) of the service member to be honored. The application period for this year’s program began on March 1 and will run through the end of day on Friday, April 14.

We encourage you to assist us with identifying and celebrating our community’s veterans! For more information on eligibility and details about the Parker Veterans Memorial Banner Program, and to submit an application, please visit ParkerOnline.org/MemorialBanner.

Jeff Toborg is the mayor of the Town of Parker