Daytripping: Hero Edition

What better way to start our guide to the odder and more interesting aspects of the great state of Iowa, than by touring an attraction extremely close (I'm lazy) and not particularly odd (I'm dumb), the attraction though is extremely important.

Just north of Coralville on First Avenue (take exit 242 and drive about a quarter mile past the Holiday Inn) is the Iowa Firefighters Memorial. The website says that this particular memorial is the first state-wide one of its kind and pays tribute to the 20,000 firefighters who serve Iowa.



The Memorial has four seperate walls with the names of 1,497 deceased firefighters who had 10 years of experience as well as former presidents of Iowa Firefighters Association and people who helped make the Memorial a possibility. On top of each of the six individual sections of the walls are the words: "Memory...For...Those...Who...Have...Served"



In between the four walls is a single wall that has the name of those who died while they were in the line of duty (if you look closely in the next two photos you can see our handsome yet oblivious photographer).

This was actually the second time, I have been here. The first was when I was younger. My Great-Uncle Walter is on this wall of people who died during service (he suffered a heart attack while fighting a fire).

The Memorial is definitely worth a trip, so if you're looking for a small diversion during an otherwise busy week feel free to stop by and remember those who can really be called heroes.