VICTOR • July 18 was a busy day in the city. Not only was it the third and final day of the 127th Gold Rush Days, but it was also the day chosen to unveil the Teller County WWII Memorial, honoring all county residents who served in the war.

Master of Ceremonies, former Victor Mayor Buck Hakes, has the names of four family members engraved on the black granite monument standing in Wallace Park. He gave the remembrance tribute to those who started commemorating WWII veterans in the early 1940s, as well as those who helped create this new, permanent memorial.

The original Roll of Honor was painted on the side of the Monarch Building, now the Black Monarch Boutique Hotel. When the new owners painted over the wall, citizens started grassroots fundraising to build a permanent monument. Victor donated the pubic space and funds came in from all over the county and beyond.

The original wall listed about 400 names but, after much research, the shiny new monument lists more than 800 service men and women. There is a World War I Memorial in Goldfield and a Vietnam Memorial at the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Cripple Creek.

Sgt. 1st Class Keith Mckim, U.S. Army Retired, told the story of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. More than 16,000 Marines took part in that battle, and 6,812 lost their lives. Mckim also paid tribune to the many millions who died duruing World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, as well as in more recent wars.

William Bolander, one of the oldest WWII veterans in attendance, placed a wreath on the unveiled monument. He tried to say a few words, but became overwhelmed with emotion. The gathered crowd gave him a standing ovation and cheered as he walked away from the podium.

Besides the dedication of the monument, the ceremony also included a bell that was saved from the Old Washington Elementary School in Victor, which many of the veterans attended. Bolander was the first to ring the bell in honor of those who served.