Veteran dies just before unveiling of commemorative banners

IRVINGTON, NJ — Mayor Tony Vauss, Municipal Council President David Lyons and the Irvington Chamber of Commerce will unveil 14 new commemorative banners honoring individual township veterans during a special ceremony on Friday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. in Veterans Memorial Park on Springfield Avenue, near the site of the old Servicemen’s Clubhouse. The banners will be installed in select locations along Springfield Avenue,

“The banners display the veteran’s headshot, military service, and banner sponsor,” David Biagini of FirsTeam Management, which manages the Springfield Avenue Business Improvement District and Campton Business Improvement District for the Irvington Chamber of Commerce, said.

“Irvington is believed to be among the first, if not the first, community in New Jersey to host such banners. The project began several months ago with an offer by the Irvington Chamber of Commerce to Irvington’s families of veterans to purchase a banner in honor of their living or deceased veteran.”

According to Biagini, the Irvington Chamber of Commerce and the township collaborated on the design and installation of the banners in the township’s main commercial thoroughfare. The ceremony will feature family members of the veterans honored on the banners and a few of the veterans themselves, in addition to remarks from the mayor and the Irvington Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the project.

But Camptown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1940 Sr. Vice Commander Franklin L. Prather Sr. won’t be there to see or participate in the ceremony.

“Senior Vice Commander Franklin Prather Sr. just passed away over the weekend,” said the Post Commander Shawn Johnson on Tuesday, Sept. 20. “The funeral arrangements haven’t been made yet. He was a great mentor and a great person, and he will definitely be missed. We will continue carrying on everything that he was involved with, as part of his legacy. We just need other members to step up.”

Johnson said Prather’s loss was particularly untimely as it occurred just after the two had been chosen to serve in leadership roles in the post.

Together, and with the help of VFW Post 1940 treasurer Penny Register and others, Johnson and Prather had initiated a new youth mentoring program for children and young adults from the surrounding Chestnut Avenue community, where their post building is located. They had also announced the opening of the youth scholarship application period earlier this month and had plans in the works for several activities designed to integrate the post into the life of the local community.

“We just had the Irvington Environmental Committee out at the post on Sept. 17,” Johnson said, adding, “We did a brunch and we invited the community to come out and speak with the committee. The key speaker was Gabrielle Walker, who is part of the Irvington Environmental Committee. Mayor Vauss was there, Councilwoman (October) Hudley was there and other elected officials and invited guests.”

Johnson said it is sad that Prather will not be on hand Friday, Sept. 23, for the unveiling of the new veterans banners.

“From my understanding, those banners were meant to upgrade the community,” said Johnson. “Anybody that wanted to purchase a banner for a family member that is a veteran could do so.”

  David Biagini, Franklin L. Prather, Irvington Chamber of Commerce, Shawn Johnson, VFW Post 1940