LANCASTER, Ohio — The Fairfield County Courthouse will glow green from Wednesday, November 4, through Wednesday, November 11, as Fairfield County joins Operation Green Light for Veterans, a nationwide effort recognizing military veterans and their families in the week leading up to Veterans Day. The county is participating to raise awareness of the challenges veterans may face after returning to civilian life and to highlight resources available to them, according to a community announcement reported by the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.
The invitation extends beyond the courthouse. Residents, businesses and community organizations can take part by replacing one light bulb with a green bulb and displaying it at a home, business or public building through November 11, the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette reported from the announcement. Participants are encouraged to share photos on social media using #OperationGreenLight.
“Fairfield County is proud to be home to so many veterans who have dedicated their lives to serving our country and continue to make a difference right here in our community,” Fairfield County Commissioner Steve Davis said in the announcement, as reported by the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. “Illuminating our courthouse green is a simple but meaningful way to show our appreciation, recognize their sacrifices and remind our veterans that their service will never be forgotten. We encourage residents and businesses throughout the county to join us in showing their support.”
The color is deliberate. The National Association of Counties, which leads the campaign nationally with the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, explains that green symbolizes hope, renewal and well-being, and that “green light” also signals moving forward. By lighting buildings green, the association says, counties show veterans they are seen, appreciated and supported.
Operation Green Light is now in its sixth year. According to the National Association of Counties, the effort builds on work originated in 2021 by the New York State Association of Counties and the New York State County Veteran Service Officers’ Association. In 2025, 412 counties across 44 states participated, the association says, and this year it has invited all 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs in the United States to join.
The timeline is straightforward. The courthouse lighting and at-home displays run November 4 through November 11, ending on Veterans Day. The association notes that about 200,000 service members transition to civilian life each year, and the campaign is timed to welcome those newest veterans home while reminding others that local help remains available.
That local connection is the point, county associations argue. The National Association of Counties notes that County Veteran Service Officers are often the first point of contact for veterans looking to access federal benefits, helping with VA health care, home loans, educational benefits and job placement.
The green lights are part of a fuller veterans season in Lancaster. The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette has also reported, from a separate announcement, that the American Veterans Traveling Tribute will bring its Global War on Terror and Cost of Freedom Tribute to the Fairfield County Fairgrounds from November 5 to 7, with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m. on November 5. According to that reporting, the display features an 80-percent replica wall that stands 8 feet tall and stretches 360 feet.
Fairfield County’s recognition continues after Veterans Day with its own Veterans Hall of Fame. Three veterans — Brian P. Green, Ronald E. Nixon and Lester E. “Gene” Wood — will be inducted on November 19, according to a community announcement reported by the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. The Hall of Fame honors veterans for their service in the U.S. Armed Forces and their subsequent contributions through volunteerism, public service and advocacy, with inductees selected for their post-military civic, professional and charitable work.
The three inductees reflect that post-service focus, according to the announcement reported by the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Green served 10 years in the Ohio Army National Guard, co-founded the Fairfield County Military Homecoming Celebrations and has supported Honor Flight Columbus and Team Rubicon. Nixon served eight years in the U.S. Air Force before serving as a firefighter, medic, police chief and mayor of Bremen, and has logged more than 3,000 volunteer hours at Fairfield Medical Center. Wood spent nearly 45 years in public service, including 38 years as Fairfield County recorder, championed efforts to preserve veterans’ records and improve access to benefits, and volunteers with the Lancaster Ohio Veterans Burial Detail.
“Honoring our veterans is about more than recognizing their time in uniform. It’s about acknowledging the lasting impact they continue to make right here in Fairfield County,” Fairfield County Commissioner Dave Levacy, president of the Fairfield County Veterans Hall of Fame Board of Directors, said in the announcement, as reported by the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.
What happens next is a sequence of dates residents can act on. Through November 11, look for the courthouse in green in Lancaster and consider adding a green bulb at home or at work, sharing a photo with #OperationGreenLight. The traveling tribute runs November 5 to 7 at the county fairgrounds. Then, at 6 p.m. on November 19, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner takes place at the Levacy Center, 1550 Sheridan Drive in Lancaster, with dinner, a formal induction and remembrance for veterans who have died; Michael Johnson, director of the Sherman House Museum, will be the keynote speaker, advance registration is required, and more information is available at fairfieldcountyveterans.org, according to the announcement reported by the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.