"In God We Trust" in Vietnam War Dead Pennies
Penrose, Colorado
Stretched between two Vietnam War helicopters are big letters: "IN GOD WE TRUST." The letters are covered with 58,272 glued-on pennies, one for each American killed in the war. The memorial-makers tried to use only pennies minted during 1965-1971, the war's deadliest years.
The big steel letters were made by students in the Canon City High School metal shop. Before being glued into place, all 58,272 pennies were first given a good scrubbing in a cement mixer.
The pennies are part of a larger veterans display that also includes a memorial wall (with no pennies). Plans are still in the works for a Wounded Warrior sculpture, featuring a soldier carrying another wounded solider to one of the helicopters.