Concordia hosts traveling veteran tribute wall display

Early in June, a small town in north central Kansas was chosen to host a traveling display that journeys all across the country, commemorating the lives of military veterans and first responders.

This week, event organizers reported more than 3,500 people dropped in to see the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Wall hosted by the Kansas National Guard Armory in Concordia, Kansas over a weekend last month - exactly 15 years after the wall had last made its way through this part of the country.

The wall began as traveling replica - a scale model, 80 percent of the size - of the Vietnam veteran's memorial in Washington, D.C., before expanding to include the Cost of Freedom Tribute - which also celebrates those who lost their lives in military conflicts in the 21st Century such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

And since the wall was last in Concordia in May 2010, approximately additional 58,000 names have had to be inscribed.

"That's way too many men and women, sons and daughters, grandchildren, a mom or dad that didn't make it home," said Rita Goodwin, senior coordinator of the Christian Patriot Remembrance Team that brought the event to Concordia. "So I'm here today to ask for your prayers to help my team and I pull this event off - to honor those names that are on the wall!"

It cost $11,500 just to host the display in Concordia for the weekend including June 5-9, Goodwin reported, and her group's goal was to raise between $100,000 and $200,000 in total to support military veterans, first responders, and guest speakers.

 "We also want to acknowledge and give thanks to everyone who stepped up to help with the event and also in the planning of it," said Mabel Woodman, one of the event's organizers. "Special thanks and appreciation to our emcees, retired Master Sgt. Rusty Jeardoe and Senior Master Sgt. Lonnie Woodman, who were there from morning to evening every day, directing the continuous flow of our itinerary."

And soon, organizers said this week, the display will expand again, to eventually celebrate K-9 service members.

"A K-9 tribute is being made to travel with the wall, compliments of small towns in north central Kansas," Woodman said.

Now that the more than 440 panels that make up this poignant tribute have been packed up and removed from northern Kansas, the traveling display made its way to Rochester, Minnesota last week before it heads to Gladstone, Missouri this week with a stop in Texas for the Fourth of July.