First ‘Hometown Heroes’ displays to be unveiled Friday, will honor Pfc. Langhorn, Tech. Sgt. Briggs

The first two “Hometown Heroes” displays in downtown Riverhead will be unveiled Friday on West Main Street.

And the first two banners will honor Pfc. Garfield Langhorn, who died in Vietnam at age 20 and posthumously was awarded the Medal of Honor, and Tech. Sgt. Dashan Briggs, who was a member of the Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing, and died in a helicopter crash in Iraq in 2018.

The Hometown Heroes project is a joint effort of the Riverhead Business Improvement District, the Riverhead Town Veterans Advisory Committee, Wedel Sign Company and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio. 

The 30-by-21 inch banners will each feature one local veteran and their branch of military service and a picture. They will be displayed on light poles. 

The first two will be unveiled in front of Cucina 25 restaurant at noon, and additional heroes will be unveiled afterward until Memorial Day. The banners will again be displayed September through November in observance of Veterans Day.

“This project is an exceptional way to honor and remember the servicemen and servicewomen of our Town,” Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said in a statement earlier this month. “Each time we travel through downtown Riverhead, we will be reminded of their bravery and the sacrifices they
made to protect our country and keep our community safe. We thank our Riverhead heroes for their service.”