🇺🇸Memorial Day 2026Honor their memory

Tell Us About Someone Who Served

This Memorial Day, the Des Moines Digest wants to honor the men and women from our community who gave everything. Share their story and we'll help Des Moines remember them.

Why we're doing this

Every Name Deserves to Be More Than a Name

Memorial Day is about more than a long weekend. It's about remembering the real people — sons, daughters, parents, neighbors — who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this country.

We're asking Des Moines locals to share the stories of those they've lost. Whether it's a grandparent from World War II, a parent from Vietnam, or a friend from more recent conflicts — we want to help their memory live on in the community they called home.

Stories will be featured in our Memorial Day issue, shared with thousands of Des Moines locals, and preserved as a lasting tribute.

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The bravest thing a person can do is give their life for others. The least we can do is make sure Des Moines never forgets them.

— Des Moines Digest

Who can you submit?

Anyone Who Served and Sacrificed

If they had a connection to Des Moines — born here, lived here, raised a family here — their story belongs in this community.

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World War I & II Veterans

Grandparents or great-grandparents who gave their lives in the World Wars and called Des Moines home.

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Korea & Vietnam Veterans

Men and women who served in the Korean War or Vietnam and never made it home to their families.

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Gulf War & Iraq/Afghanistan

Service members lost in more recent conflicts who grew up, trained, or built their lives in the Des Moines metro.

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Any Era of Service

If they served, sacrificed, and had a connection to Des Moines — their story is welcome here, regardless of era or branch.

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Family Members

Share the story of a parent, grandparent, sibling, spouse, or child who served and didn't come home.

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Friends & Neighbors

You don't have to be family. If you knew them, loved them, and want Des Moines to remember them — submit their story.

What helps us tell their story

What to Include in Your Submission

Don't worry about making it perfect — just tell us what you know. We'll take care of the writing.

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Their name & hometown Full name, where they were from in the Des Moines area, and any other names they went by.

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Branch & era of service Which branch of the military they served in, and roughly when they served.

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What made them them A memory, a personality trait, something they loved — what you want people to know about them as a person.

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A photo if you have one A portrait, a service photo, or a family photo — anything that puts a face to their name. Optional but meaningful.

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Your relationship to them Let us know how you knew them — family member, friend, neighbor, colleague — so we can frame the tribute properly.

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Your contact details We may follow up with a quick question or two before publishing. A phone number or email is all we need.

You don't need to have all of this — even a name, a branch, and a memory is enough for us to work with. Just share what you have.

Submit a tribute

Share Their Story With Des Moines

Fill out the form below. Submissions close May 28rd to give us time to prepare the Memorial Day issue.