THE FREEDOM FLAME
WORLD WAR II FREEDOM MEMORIAL
FOR THOSE WHO LABORED, FOUGHT AND DIED FOR FREEDOM
Dean Lettington, my Uncle, has spent a great deal of his time working with a committee of volunteers to
build a World War II Memorial in Des Moines, Iowa. The memorial is now open to the public. It is an inspiring tribute to the men and women
who served our country during World War II - in uniform and out - overseas and on the home front. Here is a picture I took when I visited
the memorial in July of 1997. Here are some "official" photos of the memorial.
Uncle Dean served at the famous
"Battle of the Bulge". There is an organization specifically dedicated to those who participated in this critical operation so
important to the American success in the European Theater. Click here for more information.
Uncle Dean has been volunteering at the local Veterans Administration Hospital for years. He has brightened the day for patients there by distributing popcorn and
friendship to those who gave so much for their country. A recent addition to the hospital is a new facade with a stirring message for all of us. Once again a
picture is worth a thousand words.
To read a piece written by a member of the WWII Memorial Committee which
presents an excellent overview of the purpose of the memorial and conveys
the essence of the deep devotion shown by those who brought this project
to completion, click here.
Click here to read
THE EDUCATION OF ELLA MARIE
A speech delivered by Patrick Gouran, November 26, 2002
for
The Iowa Chapter of Veterans of THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
To read a piece written by a former anit-military activist, who saw the reality in a new light after the death of her father, a WWII veteran, click here.
For pictures taken at the Memorial in front of the Wall of Memories on Veterans Day,
1997 and 1998, click here.
.
Click here for a poster that should serve as a vivid visual reminder of the cruelty of the
evil German enemy we fought World War II.
There is now a wonderful National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. flanked by the Washington Monument of the East and the Lincoln Memorial to the West. For information see http://www.wwiimemorial.com/ . The Memorial is operated by the National Park Service.
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Updated 9/15/2012