The Montrose Veterans Memorial will take another major step toward completion Sept. 26, when veterans, families and community members gather to place more than 600 personalized tribute bricks along the memorial’s walkways.
The brick-laying ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at the memorial site, 1800 Pavilion Drive, adjacent to the Montrose Botanic Gardens. Participants laying bricks are asked to check in beginning at 8 a.m.
The Montrose Veterans Memorial Coalition is inviting those who purchased bricks, along with their families and friends, veterans and other community members, to participate.
Each tribute brick was purchased to recognize an individual veteran or active-duty service member. Brick purchasers are encouraged to reserve a time to place their brick during the event.
Patriot bricks, which were purchased by businesses, families and other donors, will be installed separately on a date yet to be determined.
The ceremony comes a little more than four months after more than 100 veterans, elected officials, contractors, volunteers and community members gathered May 15 to break ground on the long-awaited project.
At that ceremony, coalition President Les Williams described the memorial as the culmination of years of planning, fundraising and community involvement.
“Today we’re standing on what is currently just dirt,” Williams said during the groundbreaking. “But by Veterans Day, this will be hallowed ground.”
The memorial is designed to honor veterans who served from World War I through the Global War on Terror, as well as active-duty service members. Plans include commemorative bricks, gathering and reflection areas and a retired UH-1 Huey helicopter that will serve as a centerpiece honoring former Montrose County sheriff and commissioner Rick Dunlap.
The project began taking shape roughly four years ago and was initially planned for Cerise Park. It was later moved to city-owned property near the Montrose Pavilion and botanic gardens, where the design grew into a larger community memorial.
The City of Montrose and Montrose County each committed $300,000 to the project. Its total construction budget was estimated at approximately $730,000 at the time of the groundbreaking.
Stryker and Company, the project’s primary contractor, also helped secure approximately $125,000 in donated labor, services and materials from local businesses, subcontractors and suppliers. The coalition separately raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire the Huey helicopter.
City Public Works Director Jim Scheid credited the coalition, local governments, contractors and donors for bringing the project to construction.
“This is an excellent example of our governments working together, city and county,” Scheid said at the May ceremony. “It took a lot of partners to bring this together.”
Montrose County Commissioner Sue Hansen said then that the finished site would be more than a collection of monuments.
“This memorial isn’t just about monuments and granite panels,” Hansen said. “It’s about creating a space for reflection, healing and remembering the Montrose veterans who have given everything.”
The Sept. 26 ceremony will allow the people who purchased bricks to make their families’ stories a physical part of that space. The coalition has promoted the event with the message: “Your brick. Your story. Your veteran. Your place in the memorial.”
Additional tribute bricks remain available through the coalition’s website. The coalition’s goal is to install new groups of bricks annually around Veterans Day weekend.
Brick purchasers can reserve a brick-laying time or find additional information at montrosevmc.org or by calling 970-765-2210.
