The city of Moundsville and the entire Ohio Valley are gearing up to host the Cost of Freedom Tribute, a scaled version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and other displays to honor, respect, and remember veterans of all U.S. conflicts, past and present.
The display, dubbed the Ohio Valley Cost of Freedom, will be escorted into town on Wednesday, August 22 by nearly 1000 motorcycles, including some 750 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a national motorcycle club that honors fallen American heroes. The public is encouraged to line the route from I-470 along Route 2 and Jefferson Avenue starting at 3 p.m. in a patriotic display welcoming the memorial to Moundsville.
The centerpiece of the event is The Wall itself. Over 380 feet in length and standing 8 feet tall at the apex, the 80% scale version of the monument in Washington, D.C. features more than 58,00 names inscribed. The Wall will be set up along Jefferson Avenue in front of the former WV Penitentiary. In addition, the Cost of Freedom display will run along 8th Street East to the North Wagon Gate outside the Penitentiary. Lest We Forget, featuring one acre of weaponry, historical documents and other displays representing every war/conflict and homeland disaster throughout U.S. history, will be set up inside the Penitentiary’s Moundsville Training Center. In addition, a series of seminars and historical discussions will take place in the Moundsville Center highlighting the History of War in the U.S.
The Wall and accompanying Tribute displays will remain open to the public 24 hours a day through Sunday, August 26. Patrol boats and LTV landing crafts from the WWII and Vietnam eras will be on display at Riverfront Park each day. Reunion dinners are also planned for local veterans of major foreign wars.
For more details about the Ohio Valley Cost of Freedom–including information on how to become a sponsor or make a donation to defray the cost of the event, visit www.ovcof.com or contact the Marshall County Chamber at 304-845-2773 or on facebook/ovcof.
