We all have big dreams when we are kids. I wanted to be a girl singer for New Kids On The Block or a veterinarian, and obviously, only one of those dreams could have been attainable. Some kids may want to grow up to be rockstars, police officers, or firefighters, but Ian Wilson of Orangeville, Illinois only had one big dream when he was younger; to become a US Marine.

Ian's dad Jamie recently sent us a letter nominating her son as this week's Hometown Hero, and it painted the perfect picture of what an extraordinary, all-American man he helped raise.

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Ian is my son.  He has wanted to be a Marine since he was young.  He is always there to help friends and family.  He played football and wrestled for both Dakota and Orangeville.  As well as baseball for Orangeville.  Worked for a couple local dairy farmers before leaving for the Marines in November of 2019.  He is currently deployed overseas.  Friends and family are very proud to have a local boy show so much love of his country.

Ian, thank you for your bravery and service to our country. Thank you for dreaming big, and making sure you fulfilled that dream. Stay safe out there, and please accept this $100 Amazon gift card we will be sending you thanks to Gustafson's Furniture & Mattress.  We hope that you use it to buy something that reminds you a little bit of home and the people that love and support you there.

Do you know someone who deserves special acknowledgment for their services to our country or communities? Nominate them as a Hometown Hero, here.

Past Hometown Hero Award Winners

LOOK: What 25 Historic Battlefields Look Like Today

The following is an examination of what became of the sites where America waged its most important and often most brutal campaigns of war. Using a variety of sources, Stacker selected 25 historically significant battlefields in American history. For each one, Stacker investigated what happened there when the battles raged as well as what became of those hallowed grounds when the fighting stopped.

These are the battlefields that defined the United States military’s journey from upstart Colonial rebels to an invincible global war machine.

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