Artist
Unknown
Title
U.S. Army Colonel Dirk Spanton Memorial Garden
Year
2007
Acquisition Category
Memorial
Artwork Type
Garden
Artwork Material
Bench with cast stone, donor brick, and stone with bronze plaque
Artwork Location
Visibility
Outdoor
Location
211 N. University (a.k.a. ROTC) (HUA)
Location Description
East side of the ROTC building
Campus Zone
North
Designation
In memoriam of U.S. Army Colonel Dirk Spanton
Donors
Varied
Description
U.S. Army Colonel Dirk Spanton survived three tours and 32 months in Iraq, only to come home and find out he had just months to live because of cancer. According to Lt. Colonel Gene Snyman, chairperson of the Military Sciences Department, Colonel Spanton was part of ISU’s first ROTC graduating class in 1983. Spanton passed away in October 2006. The memorial garden serves as a place to “honor and remember his sacrifice.” The memorial includes a bench surrounded by shrubs, flowers, and grasses.
Reference Sources
- “Dying soldier gets chance to say goodbye.” Quad-City Times. August 20, 2006. https://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/dying-soldier-gets-chance-to-say-goodbye/article_6e8480ec-9d53-597d-83f5-306661e6d329.html
- Stickelmaier, Kate. “Campus memorial garden dedicated to former U.S. Army colonel.” Vidette Online (Normal, IL). October 17, 2007. https://www.videtteonline.com/campus-memorial-garden-dedicated-to-former-u-s-army-colonel/article_71bb4aae-c4a6-5e06-a7e7-12b563f99b95.html
- “Training Tomorrow’s Army Leaders.” Department of Military Science – Illinois State. Accessed July 6, 2023. https://arotc.illinoisstate.edu/overview/