ANKENY, IOWA (June 6, 2019) — The District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny will host the free national exhibition, Remembering Our Fallen, a travelling photographic memorial of moving photos that honors our country's military fallen from the War on Terror (9/11/01 — Present), June 13-16, 2019. It memorializes over 5,000 military fallen, including 101 Iowans. Veterans, military families, and the community are invited to a special opening ceremony June 13 at 5-6PM in The District's Town Square, an acre of greenspace located at 1500 SW Main Street, Ankeny, Iowa 50023 (https://goo.gl/maps/8Hd9saMqLcE2). Led by Captain Dan Gannon, Vietnam veteran, USMC, the event will recognize military veterans in the audience, include music from the Ankeny Community Band and MacKenzie Highlanders Pipes and Drums, and feature remarks from Gold Star Mother Noala Fritz, who travels the country escorting the memorial. Remembering Our Fallen was created so that the men and women who died serving our country in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan will be remembered for their great sacrifice for our freedoms. Unlike brick-and-mortar memorials, Remembering Our Fallen is designed to travel. It includes 31 Tribute Towers with military and personal photos of our nation's fallen since 9/11/01. The memorial was unveiled on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, September 2017. A directory of the fallen, along with the tour schedule and additional information, are available at www.RememberingOurFallen.org "We could not be more honored to host this national exhibit honoring our nation's fallen heroes," said Erik Skovagard, president and CEO of Lincoln Savings Bank, presenting sponsor of Remembering Our Fallen. "When we opened our location in The District at Prairie Trail we were committed to contributing back to the community, and we are proud to be able to help bring this memorial to the community." The following Davenport/Bettendorf natives are memorialized on Remembering Our Fallen:
SSG Nathan M Cox CPL Jason G Pautsch PFC Michael P Pittman PFC Nicholas M Skinner SGT Michael D Smith PFC Katie M Soenksen SSG Patrick J Gibbs Jr About Patriotic Productions The exhibit is a project of Patriotic Productions, a non-profit organization founded by Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha, Nebraska. The mission of Patriotic Productions is to honor the memory of military fallen who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to provide comfort to friends and family of the fallen, and to remind others of the tremendous cost paid by some. The Williams were inspired to create Remembering Our Fallen in 2010 after reading a story about a father whose pain and grief were even greater four years after his son had died in Iraq, because he felt his son had been forgotten. In addition to Remembering Our Fallen, Patriotic Productions has taken over 3,500 veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam on Honor Flights to Washington, D.C. since 2008. For more information: https://www.patrioticproductions.org About DRA Properties and Prairie Trail DRA Properties is an Ankeny, Iowa-based real estate development company, founded in 1992 by Dennis Albaugh. Mr. Albaugh is also CEO and owner of Albaugh LLC, a global agricultural-chemical company recognized as the largest wholly-owned formulator and packager of crop-protection products in the industry. The world headquarters for Albaugh LLC is located in Ankeny, Iowa. Prairie Trail sits on 1,031 acres in the center of Ankeny. It is a planned community built on the tradition of Iowa's great neighborhoods. A tapestry of diverse and distinctive homes, tree-lined streets, neighborhood stores, nearby offices, schools, parks, and greenbelts, Prairie Trail is a walkable development with less traffic, more sidewalks, and trails that seamlessly connect the entire development to the city of Ankeny and beyond. The District at Prairie Trail is in the center of it all with dining, shopping and entertainment amenities. More at https://thedistrictpt.com.
