Boone in Boone County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Boone County
— Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II —
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 21, 2020
1. Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial North Side
North Side
Boone County
[Train crossing the Des Moines River]
East Side
"I will tell our kids about the hero you are . . .
and the hero who gave 150% for our Country"
SGT Daniel Sesker
South Side
Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower
West Side
"A First In Life & In Death"
CSM Marilyn Gabbard
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm.
Location. 42° 3.552′ N, 93° 54.398′ W. Marker is in Boone, Iowa, in Boone County. Memorial is at the intersection of Mamie Eisenhower Avenue and Main Street, on the right when traveling east on Mamie Eisenhower Avenue. The Freedom Rock is located by the Boone County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1013 West Mamie Eisenhower Avenue, Boone IA 50036, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Co. D. 32nd Iowa Infantry (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dragoon Trail Historical Site Marker No. 8
this page online
Regarding Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial. Sgt. Daniel Sesker, born in Boone in 1983, graduated from Ogden High School in 2001. He was deployed to Kosovo in 2003 as part of Operation Joint Guardian. In July 2005, he volunteered to join the Le Mars-based Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry, which performs reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Between his tours of duty, he worked as a counselor at Woodward Academy and as a part-time police officer in Gowrie. Sesker, then 22, was killed on April 6, 2006 when a bomb exploded near his Humvee. He was manning a gun aboard the vehicle when insurgents detonated the bomb outside Tikrit.
The back side of the rock features Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower. Mamie was a famous resident of Boone, and her birthplace is located at 709 Carroll Street in Boone. General Eisenhower commanded troops during WWII.
The rock also features the first woman promoted to the rank of command sergeant major in the Iowa Army National Guard. Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard of Polk City was also the first woman in the history of the Iowa National Guard to be killed in combat. She was a passenger on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed Jan. 20, 2007 northeast of Baghdad. Assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters, Iowa Army National Guard,
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 21, 2020
2. Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial East Side
Also see . . .
1. Iowa Freedom Rock Tour. (Submitted on March 16, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)
2. Boone County Freedom Rock Information. (Submitted on March 16, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 21, 2020
3. Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial South Side
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 21, 2020
4. Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial West Side
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 21, 2020
5. Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 21, 2020
6. Boone Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial Artist's Signature
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 180 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 16, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
