The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Friday, October 17, 2003
by Dick Johnson

ROCK FALLS — Veterans from Rock Falls will earn prominent recognition again, thanks to the efforts of a local Boy Scout.

As part of his Eagle Scout project, Ben BAILEY of Rock Falls has constructed a 12-foot plywood sign in the Rock Falls Community Center with nameplates identifying veterans from the town who have served since the Civil War.

It replaces a long-missing sign honoring the veterans which was displayed in Rock Falls during World War II. A gold star was placed next to the names of those who were killed in action.

"I was extremely proud to do it," said BAILEY, 16, a junior at Nora Springs-Rock Falls High School. "The people of Rock Falls were pretty upset when the original was lost. I was just proud to be able to give something back to my community."

"I'm really proud of him," said BAILEY'S mother, Lori. "Someone asked him if he'd do again and he thought about it and said, "Yeah. Yeah I would.' "

Lori BAILEY said a World War II veteran named George ("Jay") HANSEN Jr., now deceased, asked BAILEY'S uncle, Mark BAILEY, a former Rock Falls city councilman, to find the missing sign or replace it. The project stalled until Mark BAILEY approached Ben with the idea of re-creating the sign for his Eagle Scout project.

Ben BAILEY constructed the new sign with help from his parents and other Rock Falls residents. It is permanently attached to a wall in the 76-year-old Community Center.

The 125 or so names include Don WHITE, who fought in Korea; Don's great-uncle, Lee WHITE (World War I); and great-grandfather, Herbert WHITE (Civil War).

Don White helped attach the name plates to the board.

"I think it's great," he said. "I think it's just a real nice gesture. It's kind of nice to be recognized."

"They deserve it, for what they go through," Lori BAILEY said. "Those men are proud of their accomplishments, and they should be. That's the only way we can thank them at this point."

Ben BAILEY will lead a dedication of the new Rock Falls military honor roll at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Rock Falls Community Center. He will give a brief history of the original memorial and the new one, note those killed in action, and introduce the speaker, Rock Falls Mayor Lance JOST.

The program will last about an hour.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2011