Angel Fire, New Mexico
34 Country Club Road
GPS coordinates: 36.441615,-105.29453
Take a photo of your rally flag with the above image.
Arguably one of the most beautiful veterans memorials in the U.S. and now a permanent part of the Tour of Honor, the memorial is located in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Northern New Mexico. It was constructed by the family of Dr. Victor Westphall, whose son, David, was killed in a 1968 enemy ambush in Vietnam, near Con Thien.
The memorial is not only a tribute to the 16 Marines who died in that battle, but to all members of America’s armed forces.
The Vietnam Veterans National Memorial has become a State Park that provides along with the memorial, a Visitors Center that serves as a place for reunion, reflection, healing, and sharing of experiences.
There are many stories behind the building of this veterans memorial during a time when it was unpopular to do so, but Doc Westphall persevered and it was dedicated in 1971, on the third anniversary of the death of his son.
One story is about how the Peace and Brotherhood Chapel came to remain open 24 hours a day. When Doc Westphall was building the chapel, he was locking the doors at night. One morning he found a note scrawled on a piece of scrap plywood that read, “Why did you lock the doors when I needed to come in?” Since then the doors have never been locked.
The Run for the Wall motorcycle riders make Angel Fire and Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park one of their first stops on their trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Up to 500 motorcycles visit the Memorial on Friday, the weekend before Memorial Day.
There is also a (biker-type) motorcycle rally from the nearby town of Red River, New Mexico every Memorial Day weekend. Most of the riders visit the Memorial during the rally which up to 30,000 motorcyclists attend.
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Tour of Honor-New Mexico is sponsored by Michael Hickman from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. |