New monument dedicated to El Paso County veterans

It’s a place to reflect and keep the bond among veterans strong.

“We keep getting more veterans here,” said Paul R. Darrow, a United States Marine Corps veteran. “So many World War II veterans who are passing away and this will give their spouse a chance to come and have a chit-chat with their husbands,” he said.

Paul Darrow was deployed to Korea from 1954-1955.

Thursday he spent time at the new El Paso County Monument remembering those who served beside him.

“We all have a bond, it’s a good place for us to meet and reminisce about our former lives,” he said.

It’s the only monument dedicated to veterans in El Paso County which has a population of 77,000 veterans. While the people who came to see the monument feel it is perfect, they hope is the beginning of many more to be built.

“It’s about time they started having more monuments,” Darrow said.

That sentiment is why volunteers came together, raised the money themselves and built the veterans monument in Bear Creek Regional Park.

“We kind of looked around to see where there wasn’t one. Found Bear Creek Park and thought this would be a perfect place,” said Lee Mizer, executive director of Rebuilding Together Colorado Springs said.

“I’m sure this will not be the only one. Now they’ll have other things going up like this. There’s not enough,” Darrow said.

Volunteers with the group Rebuilding Together Colorado Springs raised the money to build the monument.

It took about four months to finish.