The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Traveling Wall will be coming to the Salute to American Veterans Rally in Woodland Park. It will also include the Cost of Freedom Display, which pays tribute to veterans of all wars.

Pro Promotions owner and Rally organizer Jim Wear said the three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. will be on display and open for visitors 24 hours a day, beginning at noon Aug. 18 through 3 p.m. Aug. 21, at Woodland Park Middle School athletic field.

The wall lists the names and casualty dates of the more than 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam until the war officially ended in 1975.

There was some question about funding, but Wear said the amount of money needed now is close enough that he chose to sign the contract.

“We were getting close to the deadline and had to make a decision,” he said. “It was already too late to get just the Wall, which would have cost around $9,000. But for around $12,000, we will be getting the Wall and the Cost of Freedom Display that honors all Americans who fought in America’s wars.”

Instrumental in getting the fundraising efforts going in late June were Woodland Park residents Billy Crockarell and Linda Martin. Between them they managed to raise the $5,000 deposit, leaving about another $7,000 to raise.

“We’re really close, less than $2,000, and we’re still taking donations,” Wear said. To donate or volunteer, call 719-487-8005 or visit theveteransrally.org.

The Rally and festival will take place on Aug. 19 and 20 in Woodland Park’s Memorial Park.

Partial schedule of events

Aug. 18

11 a.m.-5 p.m. – Vendor setup in Memorial Park

Noon – Vietnam Veterans Memorial Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom Display opens on the Woodland Park Middle School athletic field

Aug. 19

24 hours – Wall remains on display

9 a.m. – Veterans Poker Run Registration at VFW Post 6051, 27637 Colorado 67 in Woodland Park. First bike leaves the post at 10 a.m. and the last bike arrives back at the post at 1 p.m.

10 a.m. – Vendor show open all day

1 p.m. – Beer Garden opens with live music from 3-6 p.m.

6 p.m. – Live music at the Historic Ute Inn

Aug. 20

24 hours – Wall remains on display

7:30-9:30 a.m. POW/MIA Riders breakfast and registration at the Woodland Park High School

10-11 a.m. – POW/MIA ride begins in Woodland Park and ends in Cripple Creek

12:30 p.m. – POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony and Veterans Memorial Dedications at Memorial Park

2 p.m. – Live music begins

Aug. 21

All day to 3 p.m. – Wall display continues

The complete schedule is available on the rally website.

Divide resident Cindy Snell makes a pencil print of her cousin Thomas L. Becker’s name she found engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall traveling tribute, part of the Salute to Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek, Aug. 15, 2019. Becker was killed three months after being drafted into the army and sent to Vietnam. The 80% replica memorial wall will be on display at this year’s rally, in Woodland Park, Aug. 18-21.

The Gazette file