Committee advances purchase agreement for Vietnam War Memorial Wall at Cheyenne park

CHEYENNE — Members of the Cheyenne City Council’s Finance Committee recommended approval Tuesday of a $275,000 purchase agreement for a Vietnam War Memorial Wall that would become an integral piece of a growing veterans memorial complex at Freedom Point in Lions Park.

This project was first announced in April 2025. The wall is just one piece of many installations that will make up Freedom Point.

The plan is to install the memorial at the southeast corner of Lions Park, and Freedom Point will eventually feature the Soldier’s Cross, which is a battlefield tribute known to veterans.

The cross will be surrounded by an eight-point compass rose, symbolizing unity across all branches of the military. Beyond that, six areas will be tributes to military veterans.

These areas, according to the city of Cheyenne website, include the following:

• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which will be an 80% replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• The Global War on Terror Tribute, which will honor veterans who have served in campaigns related to the War on Terror around the world and will feature a commemorative bronze sculpture.
• The Desert Storm Memorial, which will include a bronze sculpture to remember those who served in the Gulf War.
• The Military Branch Plaza, which will include a display of each military branch’s flag and bronze statues honoring each branch.
• The POW/MIA Headstone Section, an area dedicated to those who were prisoners of war or missing in action.
• A tribute to the War at Home, honoring veterans who have died by suicide, and remembering those who made it home but carried the weight of war long after the battlefield.

Committee members voted 2-1 to advance the agreement between the city and America’s Freedom Tribute for the purchase of the memorial wall, which would be installed on the west side of an existing pathway near Freedom Point.

Community Recreation and Events Deputy Director Sam Payne told committee members that the city developed Freedom Point after several groups approached officials with proposals for individual memorial projects throughout Cheyenne. Rather than scatter monuments across multiple locations, he said city staff chose to concentrate them in a single area with room for future expansion.

The site has already hosted traveling versions of the Vietnam Memorial wall, Payne said, and offers a highly visible location that he said is underutilized by the public.

The project carries a total cost of approximately $350,000. A $75,000 down payment was previously raised by Veterans Remembrance Memorial, which allowed fabrication of the wall to begin.

“The mayor has approved one-time state distribution funds of $150,000,” Payne said. “The remaining balance is $125,000. That’s going to come out of enhancement funds. Any future donations toward this specific part of the project or toward the project in general, will go back into the enhancement funds, so we will recoup funds.”

Payne added that Gov. Mark Gordon has committed $100,000 toward the wall project.

Construction at the site is already underway, with several local contractors contributing in-kind donations, discounted materials or services. In addition to honoring Vietnam War veterans, the project will include waterwise landscaping intended to reduce irrigation demands by replacing portions of bluegrass turf. 

During committee discussion, Councilman Mark Moody expressed support for the project and asked whether the site could eventually accommodate memorials dedicated to other conflicts, including the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

“I’m definitely in support of this, but again, I want to see more expansion,” Moody said. “I mean, I’ve seen the Spanish American War Memorial in Arlington. It’s in bad shape. That’s in Arlington. It would be nice to have one here. World War II, as well, because unfortunately a lot of our youth don’t know about it.”

Payne answered by saying the area was intentionally designed with room for additional memorials.

Councilman Jeff White said he supports the project but would have preferred a different location, such as Romero Park or Holliday Park.

“I think that there needs to be some public input when projects of this size are planned and implemented into our parks,” White said, “because I think some of our parks are getting pretty full.

… I think the project is wonderful. I think it’s going to be beautiful. I just wish that it would have been in a different location.”

Regardless, White said he will vote in favor of the project.

Councilman Larry Wolfe raised similar concerns about the long-term use of park space for memorials, and said he would like additional time to review the plans before the council’s final vote.

“I’m eminently persuadable, and I want to go out there and take a closer look at it,” Wolfe said. “... I’ll vote no for the moment, but will consider that over the next week.”

The committee ultimately voted to recommend approval of the agreement, with Moody and White voting in favor, and Wolfe voting in opposition for the time being.

The item will go before the full City Council for final approval Monday evening.

This story was published on June 20, 2026. 

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