Lt. Col. Aaron M. Wolfe, Iowa Army Ammunition Plant commander, provides welcoming remarks during the May 26 Memorial Ceremony. The ceremony honors the 70 employees who have lost their lives since ammunition production began at the plant in 1941. The ...
Left to right, Vera Leebold, Sheryl Clark and LaVeta Smith, pose by the photo of their sister, Sylvia Clark, who died in 1967. The annual Memorial Ceremony held May 26 at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, honors the 70 employees who have lost their liv...
Left to right, Eugene Friedrichsen, Jeremy Friedrichsen, Michelle Lindner and Linda Friedrichsen, all of Carroll, Iowa, pose by the memorial and photo of Justin Friedrichsen, who died in 2006. The annual Memorial Ceremony held May 26 at the Iowa Army...
MIDDLETOWN, Iowa -- During a beautiful, sunny, and peaceful morning, the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant held a Memorial Ceremony, May 26, to remember and honor the 70 patriots who lost their lives at the installation while serving their country.
Lt. Col. Aaron M. Wolfe, IAAAP commander, provided opening remarks and welcomed a gathering of approximately 100 plant employees and guests, which included several distinguished local government officials.
The ceremony honored the employees who lost their lives since ammunition production began at the plant in 1941. It was held at the Eagle Park Memorial, a monument erected in 2007, where the employees' names are engraved in granite.
Wolfe noted that the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant's mission of building munitions is dangerous work that doesn't end when the troops come home from foreign deployments. "The workforce here takes on the difficult and inherently dangerous business of working with ordnance day in and day out. So it is fitting that we take time today to pay tribute to this great workforce which contributes such strength to our nation's military and, in particular, to those that made the ultimate sacrifice."
During the ceremony, Mr. Randall Kinney, chief of quality assurance, read the names of each person, followed by a solemn triangle ring.
Col. Donald Wols, Commander, Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island Arsenal, provided remarks.
"This ceremony today allows us to give pause and think about these 70 men and women that gave their lives here in the defense of our country. No words can truly express the heartfelt condolences from a grateful nation. None of these patriots should ever fade from our memory," said Wols.
"Today is about honoring the heroes who are here only in spirit -- to keep their memories alive. Memorial events like this are a time of solemn mourning, but also a time of reverent celebration -- a celebration of men and women who gave all, so that we might continue to enjoy the freedoms and benefits of this great nation," Wols concluded.
Many family members of victims traveled from across Iowa, and Illinois, and other states to attend.
Vera Leebold, Dallas City, Illinois, who is the sister of Sylvia Clark, who died in October of 1967 when she was 18 years old. Leebold traveled with other family members who wore a sticker image of Sylvia on their clothing during the ceremony.
Leebold said the ceremony is important to her and her family. "It means people have not forgotten those that lost their lives, including civilians like my sister, who worked at the plant during the Vietnam War era."
Distinguished guests in attendance included Iowa State Senator Tom Courtney; Iowa State Representative Thomas Sands; Mayor of West Burlington, Iowa, Hans Trousill; as well as numerous leaders from surrounding communities.
The ceremony also featured comments from Mike Albee, Human Resources Director, American Ordnance, IAAAP's operating contractor; a color guard and salute battery from a Burlington, Iowa, veterans council; an invocation and prayer by Chaplain Willie Mashack, Joint Munitions Command; the laying of wreaths; and, the playing of taps by Mr. Benjamin Toal.
In November of 1940, 19,000 acres were acquired by the government in the Middletown, Iowa, area. Construction of the Iowa Ordnance Plant began in January 1941, and the first item rolled off the production line in September of 1942.
In 1963, the plant was renamed the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, and in 1998, American Ordnance, LLC, became the operating contractor.
The Iowa Army Ammunition plant is a subordinate installation of Joint Munitions Command, headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. JMC manages 16 ammunition manufacturing plants and storage depots that provide ammunition to all military services. Joint Munitions Command produces small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. It is the sustainment and logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition, and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed.
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