Pharmacy looking for veterans’ pictures

Published 9:18 am Thursday, April 28, 2011

Staley’s Pharmacy is looking for pictures of veterans to be honored in the storefront windows of the Third Street location during the Memorial Day parade this year.

Dee Staley, owner, wants to do it as a way to pay tribute to those who have served the country. The pharmacy has honored employees’ family in the military in years past, but realized how much the community wanted to be involved as well.

Staley said during Desert Storm, the pharmacy had a Christmas tree displayed in the adjoining storefront windows, and the names of employees’ family members in the military were displayed on ornaments and hung on the tree.

Email newsletter signup

Before long, customers came in with their own ornaments honoring their family members who had served in the military to hang on the tree.

“We had over 200,” Staley remembered. She said she was getting things ready to decorate the windows, and had an idea.

“I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to cover the windows in the building next door with pictures of servicemen and women?” she said.

So they are asking for help from the community. Staley said they are wanting copies of pictures of servicemen and women, along with the veteran’s name, branch of service, the year the picture was taken and the veteran’s hometown. The veteran doesn’t have to be from Lawrence County.

“I even have a friend of mine from Colorado sending me a picture of her father to put in our window here in Ironton, Ohio,” Staley said. “We thought it would be interesting to see how many we can get.”

The copies of pictures can be brought to either location of Staley’s Pharmacy, and will make it to the window. Staley stressed they are only wanting copies of pictures, to ensure originals aren’t damaged.

“There’s enough windows and glass for everybody,” Staley said. “I would love to have enough to cover up those windows.”

Staley said the parade and the community has meant a lot to her and her family.

“It was that big of a deal to my parents and their parents,” she said. “My great-grandmother, I remember her when she lived in Tennessee. She was too ill to make it in any other time, but she came home for Memorial Day.

“I feel this is the one thing we can give back to the county, to everybody,” Staley said.

Copies of pictures will be accepted at the pharmacies until 2 p.m. May 28.