The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Craig T. Neises-The Hawk Eye (used with permission)
Burlington Iowa's highest-flying native son was honored Friday, July 5th with a monument dedicated to him outside the terminal of the Southeast Iowa Regional Airport.
Jim Kelly, 38, who grew up about a mile from the terminal at the end of the runway on Mason Road, is his hometown's only astronaut and one of fewer than 10 Iowans ever to fly in space.
The 6 foot tall space shuttle shaped monument, which includes Kelly's picture and a biography, was created by a group of interested city residents in recognition of that unique accomplishment.
"We're here to pay tribute Jim won't like this Ñ to a hero," said Rod Bell, who helped spearhead the effort.
Among the more than 100 people gathered under the shade of a nearby tree to observe the dedication were several of Kelly's former teachers and fellow members of the Burlington High School class of 1982 whose 20th class reunion was also Friday.
There were many children there, too, and like the text etched into the black granite, the astronaut directed some of his comments to them.
Talking about his youth in Burlington, getting inspiration to fly from the view outside his bedroom window, Kelly urged the children to work hard to reach their goals.
"If you can dream it," he said, "you can achieve it."
The monument was the brainchild of Tom Lietsch, Burlington, who first suggested it during a radio call in talk show. Lietsch, a retired U.S. Navy pilot, said there are all kinds of memorials and monuments around to military people from Burlington's past, such as the statue of General Corse in Crapo Park.
It was time, he felt, that similar recognition be given to someone from the present.
"Don't name a street," Lietsch said, referring to a shortlived campaign after Kelly's rookie space flight a year ago. "Put a statue up."
Paid for by the John H. Witte Jr. Foundation, the monument was provided by Leyda, Burrus and Metz of Burlington, and the picture and text were inscribed by Roy Dixon, of Burlington, who contracts as an artist for the monument company.
"I was kind of shocked by it all," Kelly said of the monument. "It's nothing I would have ever asked for."
Members of Kelly's family were pleased with the monument.
"It's a nice tribute," said his wife, Dawn.
Daughters Caitlin, 7, and Anna, 6, both thought it was "cool." So did son Ryan, 11.
Eldest son, Connor, 12, meanwhile said it is "pretty nifty," having a monument to his dad placed so close to where his dad grew up.
"This is lovely," Kelly's mother, Mary Ann, said.
An astronaut since 1996 and veteran of one space shuttle mission, the March 2001 Discovery flight to the international space station, Alpha, Kelly is scheduled to pilot his second flight in January. That date is somewhat tenuous because NASA has grounded its shuttle fleet while a fuel line problem is being investigated.
Beyond his next flight, though, Kelly said he looks forward to at least one, and perhaps two more missions: One as shuttle commander and another as crew member aboard Alpha.
Expressing modesty in the face of Bell's title of hero, handshakes and hugs, autograph signing, pictures and the applause, Kelly said his hope for the monument is that it can show young people from Burlington can go on and achieve big things.
Lietsch said he hopes the monument is still doing that in 100 years. Dixon said it will last longer than that.