From Your Commandant ...

Welcome to our August update! Summer across Iowa is always a busy season, but this past month was truly special as our state came together to honor, remember, and celebrate our military veterans.

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Keynote & Site Visit with U.S. VA Secretary Doug Collins

We were deeply honored to host U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins as our distinguished keynote guest during Veterans Day at the Iowa State Fair!

Secretary Collins joined us to kick off the parade and speak to thousands of veterans, service members, and families gathered along the Grand Concourse. In his address, he emphasized our nation’s sacred obligation to deliver earned benefits to every generation of service members and highlighted the 250-year legacy of American military resilience. Beyond the podium, Secretary Collins spent valuable time directly engaging with Iowa veterans, listening to their experiences, and conducting site visits across regional VA healthcare networks to ensure federal and state partnerships remain strong.

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A Record-Breaking Veterans Day at the Iowa State Fair

This year’s Veterans Day at the Iowa State Fair was one for the history books! Anchored by the statewide "America 250-IA" theme, our annual parade on August 17 shattered previous participation records with over 100 entries lining the Grand Concourse. The overwhelming turnout helped set an all-time Monday attendance record at the State Fair, with 111,159 fairgoers joining us to celebrate Iowa’s military heritage.

Maintaining Our Elite 5-Star CMS Standard

Excellence in resident care is non-negotiable at the Iowa Veterans Home, and we are incredibly proud to maintain our CMS 5-Star Facility Rating.

Achieving and holding a top 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is an extraordinarily high bar—one that very few long-term care facilities nationwide ever attain, let alone sustain. This rating reflects our commitment to superior staffing ratios, rigorous infection control standards, and the highest quality-of-life metrics for the veterans and spouses who call IVH home. 

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USS Iowa (SSN-797) Crew Visits Iowa Veterans Home

On August 19, our campus in Marshalltown had the distinct privilege of hosting active-duty crew members from the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN-797). Six sailors—along with an Australian Navy counterpart and local submarine veterans—met with residents, participated in a Q&A panel, and shared lunch in our dining hall. It was an incredible afternoon connecting the crew of our nation's newest warship with the heroes who walked before them.

RAGBRAI Rolls Through Marshalltown

For the fifth time in RAGBRAI’s 53-year history, Marshalltown served as an overnight host town on July 22. We were thrilled to welcome riders directly onto our campus. A true highlight of the day was the 2:25 p.m. landing of an Iowa National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk on Valor Field, where residents and visitors came out to meet the flight crew and explore the aircraft.

Maj. Brad Hovey

Remembering Major Brad Hovey

On Friday, July 17, our team at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery had the solemn honor of rendering military funeral honors as U.S. Air Force Major Brad Hovey was interred on our hallowed grounds in Van Meter. Joined by a large contingent from the Air Force, we witnessed a breathtaking flyover of two B-52 Stratofortresses—with one pulling away into the clouds in missing man formation. Major Hovey, along with seven of his fellow crew members, tragically lost their lives during a flight on June 15. We hold their families in our prayers and remain profoundly grateful for their sacrifice.

Celebrating National Leadership & Community Excellence

We want to offer our heartfelt congratulations to former Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Carol Whitmore. Carol recently completed her historic term as Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)—making her the first Iowan and the first woman to lead the organization in its 127-year history. I was honored to accept the VFW Gold Medal of Merit on behalf of the agency during the national convention in Reno.

Our community partnerships also received major recognition this month! The Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) named the Iowa Veterans Home the MCC Ambassador of the Year! This honor celebrates IVH's vital role in clinical training, instruction, and mentorship for Marshalltown Community College Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) students.

Additionally, we congratulate our employee Jim Coppoc, who earned a prestigious Josie Music Award nomination for Songwriter Achievement at the Grand Ole Opry House for his moving track, "Soldier for a Son"—written just before his son deployed to Syria.

Looking Ahead

Whether we are caring for residents at the Iowa Veterans Home, honoring heroes at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery, or expanding access to earned benefits across all 99 counties, our mission remains fixed: serving those who served us. Thank you to our community partners, volunteers, and families for your unwavering support.

It is an honor to serve,

Todd Jacobus

Commandant, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs & Iowa Veterans Home