Hometown Hero banners on Medina streets highlight military service

Dan Fuller’s family has generations of service as soldiers

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Dan Fuller of Medina stands under his Hometown Heroes banner currently up on Main Street near the Presbyterian Church. He served with the U.S. Air Force and Air Ground during the Cold War and Persian Gulf era. (Right) Three members of Dan Fuller’s family have Hometown Heroes banners up this year. Here, Dan stands under the banner for his uncle Gary Wolter. Wolter served with the Army in Vietnam.

MEDINA – The banners for Hometown Heroes in Medina was started by Mary Woodruff after she saw a banner for her father-in-law while visiting his hometown in Alfred, south of Buffalo, in 2018.

She came home, presented the idea to the Village Board, and in 2019 Medina had its first Hometown Heroes’ banners. There were 38 in that first year. Banners are up for three years from around Memorial Day to just after Veterans’ Day, then they are returned to the family, Woodruff said. This year, the 2024 banners will be returned to the families.

The banners do more than showcase local heroes. For many of them, there is a story behind the banner.

Such is the case of Dan Fuller of Medina and his grandfather and uncle.

Fuller, commander of the Gasport American Legion, is one of 151 Hometown Heroes whose banners hang on the streets of Medina. Fuller served four years in Homestead Air Force Base as a radar repairman –and nine years at Niagara Falls with the Air National Guard.

Dan is a son of Paul Fuller, who was a corporal in the Air National Guard, serving from 1957 to 1963. What makes Fuller the proudest is his family’s history of serving their country. Not only does Fuller have a banner, but his uncle Gary Wolter and grandfather Harold Wolter also have banners hanging on Main Street, all sponsored by a family member who wished to remain anonymous.

Harold served in World War II as a nurse/field medic. He is a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, having been a prisoner of war in Germany. He was called home after one year to run the family farm.

Dan’s Uncle Gary served from 1967-68 in Vietnam, and Gary’s son Chad was in the Marines.

Their ancestor Erastus Fuller served during the Civil War.

Dan has a long list of relatives who served their country, besides his uncle and grandfather – Bud Fuller, Bill Menz and Merle Draper, all of whom Dan says are heroes in his life.

 In addition to his relatives, Dan says he looks up to Cliff Grant of Gasport.

“He is here because another guy took a bullet in front of him,” Dan said. “There are so many other stories that could be told.”

Dan Fuller’s story is just one of patriotism displayed in Medina’s banners. There are heroes, patriots and veterans from all branches of the military and the space program honored on Medina’s streets. Some served statewide, many went to battle and others were prisoners of war or Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipients. And others were killed in action.

There are numerous banners of families who had several members who served, such as Joseph Balcerzak and his son Paul. Joseph served in World War II and Paul in Vietnam.

Thomas Fisher served with the U.S. Air Force and his son Patrick was an Army veteran in the Persian Gulf War.

Robert Kerr and his son William were both World War II veterans – Robert with the U.S. Army and William with the U.S. Navy.

Terry Boyle served 10 years in the Army, six months of it in active duty on the front lines during the Gulf War. His son Zachary had three years in the Marine Corps.

There are several Civil War veterans honored with banners – two of whom are Patty Blackburn’s great-grandfather Henry Waters Jr.  and Ziba Roberts Jr., great-great-grandfather of Virginia Kropf and Norma Fisher, and great-great-uncle of several members of the Roberts family.

Woodruff was thrilled last year to hang banners for two Revolutionary War veterans – Benjamin Darling, who lived on East Shelby Road and is buried in the Maple Ridge Road Cemetery, ironically on land owned by Ziba Roberts’ grandfather Daniel Roberts. Darling and Daniel both served in Connecticut, under the same leader.

Another veteran was Ed Grabowski’s father Leo, who survived the Bataan Death March – a story which will be featured in an upcoming story.

Families wishing to purchase banners may contact Woodruff at mbwoodruff16@gmail.com. The deadline for 2027 banners was Oct. 16, but Woodruff will take orders for 2028 banners. Cost is $200 per new banner.