Dedication of the Lance Corporal Benjamin Carman Memorial Highway and the Captain Matthew Nielson Memorial Bridge kicked off the Memorial Day holiday Friday morning in Jefferson.
About 75 people attended the “Remembering Our Fallen” program at the Iowa Department of Transportation maintenance facility, including the parents and families of both fallen soldiers. State Sen Jesse Green and State Representatives Phil Thompson and Carter Nordman attended, as did staffers from the offices of US Rep Chuck Grassley and US Sen Joni Ernst.
Pastor Rod Block of Northside Assembly gave an invocation. He was pastor at the church when Ben Carman attended as a youth and officiated at his funeral.
Greene County veterans affairs director Mike Bierl served as emcee. He explained that Cory Van Sloten of Army Survivor Outreach Services, a company contracted by the Department of Defense to provide support to surviving family of deceased service members, initiated the project.
After the designations were approved by the supervisors, the Jefferson VFW and American Legion posts solicited donations to cover the cost of the signage and installation. Fundraising surpassed the goal by $480, which will be used to send veterans on future Honor Flights.
Greene County attorney Thomas Laehn read the resolutions approved by the county board of supervisors last August calling for the memorial highway and memorial bridge designations.
Matt Nielson’s father Roger and Ben Carman’s father Nelson made brief comments. Nielson reflected on Matt’s growing up in a large family and lessons he learned working at the Jefferson Fareway.
Carman thanked Van Stolt for his efforts.
Elvin Thompson reminded those in attendance that a third Jefferson resident, Keven Dagit, was killed in the War Against Terror. Dagit was a civilian contractor. “While we owe a great debt to all our uniformed veterans, I thank you for paying attention to the fact that there were some civilian contractors that served just as nobly,” he said, adding that he knew all three young men.
Iowa Hwy 4 between Hwy 30 and Iowa Hwy 141 is now the LCpl Benjamin Carman Memorial Highway. That stretch of road goes past the Carman family farm where Ben grew up.
The bridge over the North Raccoon River on Highway 30 near County Rd P-14 west of Jefferson is now the CAPT Matthew Nielsen Memorial Bridge.
