Friday, September 4, 2009
Dubuque
Today I started another beautiful Iowa morning by meeting with members of the American Legion Post #6 in Dubuque. I was there to present long sought- after military medals to two area veterans. These medal ceremonies are some of my favorite events to do as I travel across the state.
This morning I presented six medals, including the National Defense Service Medal, to Petty Officer 3rd Class William Kluesner, who served in both the Vietnam and Korean Wars. At the age of 19, William enlisted and served on the USS Capacon as a Machinist Mate and Engineer. William had lost his medals, so he contacted my office about getting them replaced. I was very surprised to learn that when we inquired with the Navy about his medals, that he actually was eligible for medals he had never received when he was discharged.
I also presented medals to Staff Sergeant Thomas Linden. Thomas never served in a war, but is what I like to call a Cold War Warrior. He enlisted during peace time, but it was still a tenuous period when militaries in the U.S. and around the world were building up and you never knew if war would come. When Thomas was stationed at Truax Air Force Base, he was named the “Airman of the Year.” Thomas never received his medals, and his granddaughter, Heidi, contacted my office after hearing about other veterans who got their medals later in life. I was honored to present these veterans with their much deserved medals.
After the medals ceremony, I headed to downtown Dubuque to see the renovation of the Roshek Building and the vision for the revitalization of the Millwork District. I met with community leaders who were instrumental in bringing IBM and some 1300 jobs to Dubuque. Their commitment to make the downtown district a model of sustainability is commendable. The new IBM global data center is located in the Roshek Building which is an old department store that is being renovated in to office space. Over 70 percent of the materials removed during the reconstruction have been recycled. I was very excited to see the parts of the building that were completed and anxiously await the final product.
After the tour of the Roshek Building, we boarded a trolley that took us to the Millwork District to tour the some of the old factories that will be converted into multi-use buildings with apartments, office space and entertainment venues. One of the greatest needs in Dubuque is housing. These renovated buildings will be a hub for business and living once they are completed.
I finished off my day at the Dubuque Airport where I presented the Carl A. Spatz Award to Cadet Colonel Elizabeth Spoerl, a Junior at Clarke College. This award is given to only five out of every 1000 Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadets and Elizabeth is the 19th person in Iowa to ever receive the award. To be eligible, cadets must complete a five year process. I was told that the Spatz award is equivalent to getting a black belt in karate, the Eagle Scout Award and the Gold Standard Girl Scout Award, all in one. It is truly an impressive achievement.
Today also rounded out my August travels. It was good to be home and see some familiar faces and even meet some new friends. Now I return to Washington where I will take all the input I heard from Iowa back to Congress.
