A memorial service is set for Sunday for an Iowa soldier who died in Iraq last week. Twenty-seven year old Army Captain Matthew Nielson of Jefferson was one of three soldiers killed June 29th when their base in Iraq came under fire from insurgents.
A memorial service is planned for Sunday at noon at the Greene County Community Center in Jefferson. Nielson was born and lived in Nebraska in his early years and later moved to Ogden, and then Jefferson where he lived with seven brothers and sisters. His family talked with the media this week about the son and brother they had lost.
Nielson’s mother, Christine says her son always jumped in to do things whether it was in the military, or at his job at Fareway. She says Matthew wasn’t looking to gain favor for himself for the things he did, he saw something that needed to be done and “didn’t give a rip” about what people might think.
Nielson’s father Roger says his son loved anything involving the military from the time he was young, and was the “leader of the pack” for the family. Roger said his son was “a fine young man, he was a wonderful kid.” Roger and his wife were in Washington, D-C when their son’s body arrived from Iraq. He says being there added some closure for them.
“He’s not missing in action, we don’t have to call Chuck Norris and the Delta Force to come get him…we don’t have to worry about that because he’s home, he’s here in Iowa,” Roger Nielson said. Nielson will be buried Sunday following the memorial service at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter.
There is visitation beginning at 11 a.m. prior to the service Sunday.