WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Next year will mark 70 years since one of the deadliest plane crashes in Colorado history. Yet, there’s never been a memorial honoring the dozens of people who died. A group of people in Weld County are hoping to change that.
Forty-four people died when United flight 629 crashed in a Weld County field. A man stuck dynamite in his mother’s suitcase and blew up the plane in a ploy to collect insurance money, according to the FBI. It was the first time an airplane in the United States was sabotaged, and it's still one of the deadliest plane crashes in Colorado history.
"When we go and give material out to people, they’re like, 'I don’t know anything about this.' That’s sad," Becky Tesone, who is pushing for a memorial to be built, said.
The plane took off from Stapleton Field in Denver and was heading to Portland, Oregon, when it crashed just over 10 minutes into the flight.
"I’d like to have a place where people could come and mourn, have a place of healing and also recognize the unsung heroes that came out that night," Greg Raymer, who is also pushing for the memorial to be built, said.
Greg and Becky had a friend who lost family in the crash. Now, they're raising money and working with different local governments to try and find a spot to build a memorial in Weld County. They hope it can be ready by November of next year, exactly 70 years after the crash.
"It’s such a tragedy. And I want these people to be remembered," Raymer said.
The group is organizing a concert at the Rialto Theater in Loveland to try and raise money. You can learn more here.
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