Readlyn in Bremer County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Bremer County Freedom Rock
— -- Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II -- —
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 18, 2019
1. Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Inscription.
Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial. Bremer County Freedom Rock.
The Bremer County Freedom Rock . , First the Iowa Tour and the Bremer County Freedom Rock, located in the pretty little town of Readlyn, Iowa is completed and has been for a couple of weeks. This town is full of great people and according to their sign "one old grump". , For this freedom Rock we thumbed through some of Bremer County's storied Veteran history and landed on a few Veterans stories that inspired us. Starting with Navy Cross Recipient Captain Milius who was declared Missing In Action, eventually his status was revised to Presumed Killed In Action and he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. Milius was piloting an OP-2E observation aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission over Laos. On the mission, Captain Milius' aircraft received multiple hits from 37-mm. anti-aircraft-artillery fire during a run over the assigned target. Immediately, the aircraft burst into flames, several members of the crew received injuries, and dense smoke and fumes filled the fuselage. Remaining at the controls to insure stable flight, Captain Milius ordered his crew members to bail out. As a result of his action, seven of his nine crewmen were rescued within three hours of bail-out. Rescue flights, however, were unable to locate Caption Milius. , Sergeant Lester Diekmann was a member of Headquarters Battery, 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He earned the Bronze Star at the Battle of the Bulge in world war two and after being discharged he re-upped to make a career of his military service. He was sent to Korea and was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in Korea on July 5, 1950, forced to march to North Korea on the "Tiger Death March", and died while a prisoner at Hanjang-ni, North Korea at the end of the year 1950. , Arlin Wittenburg, who was stationed on the USS Oklahoma, escaped "hell upside down" by a matter of a few moments on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. After the attack Wittenburg manned a cutting torch atop the Oklahoma's capsized hull trying to free trapped shipmates. In all, 429 sailors of the Oklahoma's crew of 1,100 were killed, including 28 Iowans. , The side with the eagle is pretty self-explanatory, the eagle is clutching a ribbon that reads: "By land sea and air they stand in the unbroken line of patriots who've dared to die that freedom may live." The eagle is flying over a Normandy like cemetery. , And of course, Old Glory represents not only all veterans, but all of us Americans!
The Bremer County Freedom Rock
First the Iowa Tour and the Bremer County Freedom Rock, located in the pretty little town of Readlyn, Iowa is completed and has been for a couple of weeks. This town is full of great people and according to their sign "one old grump".
For this freedom Rock we thumbed through some of Bremer County's storied Veteran history and landed on a few Veterans stories that inspired us. Starting with Navy Cross Recipient Captain Milius who was declared Missing In Action, eventually his status was revised to Presumed Killed In Action and he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. Milius was piloting an OP-2E observation aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission over Laos. On the mission, Captain Milius' aircraft received multiple hits from 37-mm. anti-aircraft-artillery fire during a run over the assigned target. Immediately, the aircraft burst into flames, several members of the crew received injuries, and dense smoke and fumes filled the fuselage. Remaining at the controls to insure stable flight, Captain Milius ordered his crew members to bail out. As a result of his action, seven of his nine crewmen were rescued within three hours of bail-out. Rescue flights, however, were unable to locate Caption Milius.
Sergeant Lester Diekmann was a member
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of Headquarters Battery, 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He earned the Bronze Star at the Battle of the Bulge in WWII and after being discharged he re-upped to make a career of his military service. He was sent to Korea and was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in Korea on July 5, 1950, forced to march to North Korea on the "Tiger Death March", and died while a prisoner at Hanjang-ni, North Korea at the end of the year 1950.
Arlin Wittenburg, who was stationed on the USS Oklahoma, escaped "hell upside down" by a matter of a few moments on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. After the attack Wittenburg manned a cutting torch atop the Oklahoma's capsized hull trying to free trapped shipmates. In all, 429 sailors of the Oklahoma's crew of 1,100 were killed, including 28 Iowans.
The side with the eagle is pretty self-explanatory, the eagle is clutching a ribbon that reads: "By land sea & air they stand in the unbroken line of patriots who've dared to die that freedom may live." The eagle is flying over a Normandy like cemetery.
And of course, Old Glory represents not only all veterans, but all of us Americans!
Topics and series. This historical marker and memorial is listed in this topic list: Military. In addition, it is included in the Freedom Rock Memorials series list.
Location.
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 18, 2019
2. Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
42° 42.424′ N, 92° 13.168′ W. Marker is in Readlyn, Iowa, in Bremer County. Marker is on Reed Ave, 0.1 miles north of 6th St. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2351 Reed Ave, Readlyn IA 50668, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 18, 2019
3. Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 18, 2019
4. Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 18, 2019
5. Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 18, 2019
6. Readlyn Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2019. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 388 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 26, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
