A few weeks before Veteran’s Day each year, banners are put up on a second-story house. Sitting along the 1200 block of 6th Street, drivers and passersby are given a clear view of those who served. The three-foot by five-foot banners feature relatives of the homeowners, Robert and Charlotte Lee, to include parents, uncles, cousins, son-in-laws, and more.
For years they have hoisted the banners, always on a warm day, to show the importance of what veterans did through their time of service.
“It’s just for honoring veterans,” Robert said. The couple saw similar banners in Holton, Kansas and called to find out where the banners were made.
Charlotte, the family historian, as told by the pair’s daughter, Audrey Waid, already had family veterans’ information on file. She has a love for history, but had also found official paperwork to become a member of the Daughters of the Revolution. In order to join, one has to prove their lineage to the Revolutionary War.
She gathered the information: names, ranks, time in service, wars fought, and a picture, and ordered the vinyl banners. Today they have 18, with more added to their collection over time. Robert said they have nine more to go.
There are also files and books of records, pictures, and letters that were saved and scanned. Including three bound books for each of their fathers, Norris Lee and Frederick Doza. The former, who went by “Tiny” was 6-foot-9 and was once dubbed “The Biggest Man in Clay County.”
While living in Wakefield, Tiny, whose paperwork said he was stationed at Fort Riley, was reporting to Colorado Springs. Robert said they would pick him up each weekend and he would hitchhike to and from the base. At the time, Bill Avery’s aunt was a family friend. Robert said she made a call and Tiny was transferred back to Fort Riley the next day.
“That just made our day,” he said.
On the family history, especially the books, Waid said she enjoys getting snapshots of what her ancestors lived through.
“Especially as a granddaughter reading the things my grandmas would writ to them while they were overseas and hearing the things that the kids were doing, thinking of my uncles, it’s just interesting,” Waid said.
The family also holds folders and folders of pictures. In total, Charlotte has hundreds of glass negatives – though Robert said it’s likely thousands. Including images of veterans from Clay County through various wars. The keepsakes include family heritage and other memorabilia, but most of all, stories.
Robert himself was named after a veteran, his uncle Robert E. Lee – not the famous one. He said there’s no evidence of being related to that Lee. Uncle Robert served and was killed in a bar fight while stationed in Texas.
“My brother was in the military but by the time it got to me they canceled the draft,” he said. “Plus my Dad had done 22 years so I didn’t figure they needed me.”
The signs include some living veterans, two Purple Heart Recipients, and veterans of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Confederate Army, and the Revolutionary War.
“They want to honor family history but they’re just a reminder of how important the sacrifices are,” said Waid.
Robert hangs the banners each year with rope to keep them from blowing in the wind. He said he chooses when to put them out based on the weather, and the same goes for taking them back down.
“This year I put them out last week because I heard it was getting cold this week,” he deadpanned. “They stay out until my wife makes me take them down. Probably close to Christmas and on a warm day.”
He said he prefers to display the banners around Memorial Day, but it’s not always done due to the exposure from the sun and risk of wear and tear to the banners.
“The first year we put them up we had more walkers than we could shake a stick at,” he said. “They would all walk by and read them.”
