THE FREEDOM FLAME

WORLD WAR II FREEDOM MEMORIAL

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.

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A recent project at Iowa State University (my alma mater, by the way), resulted in a play and a book entitled "Heros Among Us, Memories of Twelve Iowa WW II Veterans", Edited by Jane Cox. My Uncle Dean was one of the twelve included in this tribute. The book is available at Borders and on-line at Amazon.com. Below are copies of the front and back covers of the book. It is a great read!

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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.

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.

The History Department of the US Military Academy at West Point maintains an excellent collection of military maps. Many of these maps are now available on-line. Click on one of the following two links to view their collection of World War II maps:
European Theater
Asian Theater

For pictures taken at the Memorial in front of the Wall of Memories on Veterans Day, 1997 and 1998, click here. For further information about the World War II Memorial, send email to Uncle Dean at delvet1@msn.com

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 movement afoot to establish a national World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.. For information see http://www.wwiimemorial.com/ maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

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Mr Dennis Adamson's History Class at Ankeny High School has visited the Memorial as a part of their American Culture studies. See the class project web site here . Click on "Projects", then click on WWII Memorial.