A ceremony took place on Friday morning of an official dedication to memorialize two fallen Greene County soldiers.

There were two signs that will designate two areas in the county, including the “Captain Matthew Nielson Memorial Bridge” that is located over the North Raccoon River, five miles west of Jefferson on US Highway 30; and the “Lance Corporal Benjamin Carman Memorial Highway,” that is located on Iowa Highway 4, between US Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 141.

Following the opening remarks by Greene County Veteran Affairs Director Michael Bierl and a prayer from Pastor Rob Block of Northside Assembly of God, Bierl went through the background of how the signs came to be. He explained that after a discussion with a representative from Army Survivor Outreach Service and two resolution approvals by the Greene County Board of Supervisors, the Jefferson VFW Post #9599 and American Legion Post #11 fundraised more than the amount needed for the signs and installation. 

During the ceremony, comments were read on behalf of Senator Chuck Grassley from State Director Carol Olson. The resolutions were recited by Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehm and the biographies of Carman and Nielson were done by State Representative Phil Thompson and State Senator Jesse Green, respectively. Matthew’s father Roger said a few words. He recalled one interaction his son had with his employer Doug Monghan who was the Fareway Store Manager about greeting customers.

“And Matthew wasn’t always a forward kid with that hard handshake, ‘How are ya?’ Doug said (to Matthew), ‘Well just go out there and remember something about them next time you see them and then just start a conversation with these people. So he did it that way ever since.”  

Captain Matthew Nielson was killed in action on June 29, 2011 in Baghdad, Iraq in Operation New Dawn from indirect fire from insurgents attacking his unit. Lance Corporal Benjamin Carman was killed on April 6, 2004 in Ramadi, Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom by hostile fire. 

The signs were then unveiled by the families to the attendees and the playing of Taps concluded the event. The signs were then placed later that afternoon.