Memorial Day: Welcome Home Soldier Memorial

Each year, we take a day to honor and mourn the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May as flags line our streets and gravesites are adorned with flowers. For Rural Resurrection, it is a good day to look at how towns honor their local heroes through memorial parks. Not just to applaud towns for their good design of the memorials, but also for the effort it takes to fundraise and construct these memorials.

This is my fifth year writing about memorial parks on Memorial Day. In the first post, I wrote about the Higgins National Memorial Park in Columbus. A stunning tribute to not only local veterans but also Andrew Jackson Higgins, the creator of the Higgins Boat landing craft. Last year’s post was about Heartland Memorial Park in Central City, Nebraska, a great example of what a small community can do when it pulls together to put together a great memorial park.

This year, I’m looking back on RAGBRAI in 2024. That year, the rumble across Iowa rolled through the southern quarter of the state on its way to Burlington and the Mississippi River. The fifth day would land us in the city of Albia as the Meeting Town for some lunch. Driving the Buff Bus, I was cruising along Highway 34 approaching the community when I noticed the massive Welcome Home Soldier Monument to the north. Despite being only a shuttle bus, the Buff Bus doesn’t exactly stop on a dime. I pulled over as soon as I got into town and headed back to this memorial.

Eight Acres of Honor

In the hills just west of Albia, the Welcome Home Soldier Monument spreads across an impressive eight acres. This powerful tribute to veterans began as a local vision, but has grown into a destination that is well worth stomping on the brakes to pull over and check out. The memorial itself is more than a single monument to take a look at, it is an immersive experience.

The Welcome Home Soldier Monument started out in 2005 with a dream and an organized gathering of determined individuals. What was created is a stunning tribute to both living and deceased active duty, peacetime, and wartime, honorably discharged veterans.

Lighting the Way

Site lighting has always been an interest of mine. With proper lighting a community’s parks, memorials, and other gathering spaces can look stunning at night. That’s why I was drawn to the bollards in the Welcome Home Soldier Monument.

Outside of the up lighting on each monument, the facility has a number of lighted bollards that follow the meandering walkways that connect each node. Each bollard has the name of a veteran and the service that they served under punched out of the steel. So, at night, these bollards not only light the pathways, but the light also displays the name of the veteran.

Numerous Nodes of Recognition

To call this place “a monument” doesn’t do it justice. The Welcome Home Soldier Monument is actually multiple nodes of recognition. Each one provides a bold tribute in one captivating manner or another.

Visitors can walk among the 100 American flags on “Humble Hero Hill,” pass through an amphitheater lined with state flags from all 50 states, and visit a variety of monuments dedicated to major conflicts from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. At the center lies a Wall of Honor where those in attendance can reflect on the thousands of names etched into the black granite. But one of the most captivating pieces was a row of 21 white crosses that leads you into the monument from the entrance. The symbolism links back to the 21-gun salute, a military honor during a funeral, signifying respect and honor.

Fundraising for the Monument

As stated on the monument’s website: “Welcome Home Soldier was organized by veterans. Led by a board of seven veterans, supported by a diverse advisory board and professional legal and financial consultants, we have enlisted dedicated individuals to ensure the success of our mission.” It is clear that they are well organized with boards filled with select individuals with the skills for success. The website also provides information not only about how you can contribute financially, but also about how you can become a volunteer.

Despite the work of the Welcome Home Soldier Committee to create what’s already been constructed. They still have plans for the future that need funding. The website provides information on upcoming projects and a link to their donation brochure. It also provides the tax ID number of the 501(c)3 organization, allowing contributions to be tax-deductible. A key ingredient for fundraising drives related to non-profit projects like the Welcome Home Soldier Monument.

An Example for Other Communities

This massive, gorgeous memorial is a tremendous accomplishment. Especially for a town the size of Albia. What they’ve created is no small feat. But obviously, it wasn’t too overwhelming for those who meticulously put it together.

If you know of another memorial in a rural community that deserves recognition, let me know in the comments section.