Welcome Home Soldier Monument

A good friend of mine and I were traveling. We had spent some time in Iowa and were headed home to Kansas. He was driving and I was chatting. He is from Kansas and I am a newbie to Kansas. He has been to Iowa many times but this was my first trip there. We were definitely going over the speed limit when my eyes caught a glimpse of a bunch of American flags and some bronze statues. I said to him "what's that?" and he told me it was a really cool military monument so I asked him if we could stop and take a look. What it turned out to be was the Welcome Home Soldier Monument which is located at 6451 Highway 34 West in Albia, Iowa.

"Our country has realized what we owe our soldiers, and we have watched as those who have served are honored as true American heroes. This committee strives to continue to honor our nations veterans -- past, present and future -- by building and maintaining the Welcome Home Soldier Monument."

Located in the nations heartland, Monroe County has generously donated 7 acres of land on Highway 34 (named after the 34th Infantry Division) just west of the city limits. It's a fitting location for this special kind of monument that honors all veterans from anywhere in the United States. They all can be at home with their comrades.

Memorializing both living and deceased active duty peacetime and wartime honorably discharged veterans, this monument showcases their service to their country and will be a model of honor for future generations.

The Welcome Home Soldier Committee was organized by veterans. It is lead by a board of veterans, supported by a diverse advisory board, and has enlisted dedicated volunteers to ensure the success of the monument.

Veteran Qualifications: Any Veteran that was active duty during peacetime or wartime. Any Reserve or National Guard members called to active duty for other-than-training.

Future Enhancements: Womens Monument; Additional Lighting; Landscaping and Tree Planting; Memorial Granite Wall; Expansion Project

Questions:

Contact Jim Keller at 641-777-1663

or Tyler Boley at 641-799-7837