Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  Robert Bellow read a poem written by a veteran at the Carousel of Happiness annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday wanting to share the poem and also to experience the artistic work achieved by Scott Harrison as a monument to veteran's. Bellows is involved in a similar quest, as he works to create a sculptural park symbolizes the journey every soldier must take in the return to civilian life.

The park, a gathering space and a field of expression for both civilians and veterans will be called the Warrior Storyofield.

In 2011, Bellows was commissioned to create Alfie, the rooster that adorns the parking lot of Alfalfa's in Boulder. Like Tom Sawyer, Bellows soon had two veterans, a Ranger and a Marine who asked if they could help and the 4,000 pound metal fowl was built, a gift to the community.

The minute they put their gloves on the men became artists, and then a team. While they worked they discussed many subjects, including war, combat and veteran's issues. Bellows says it became impossible to ignore the war and the trauma it brings and wondered how he could have been so oblivious. He had discovered that once the shooting ends the war continues in the bodies and minds of the veterans for the rest of their lives.

So the men decided to build two sculptures that described the story of the veterans' struggle to return: the Dragon and the Phoenix. It was his goal to bring veterans and civilians to join in the construction of these creatures, one of which would be 16 feet tall and one 20 feet tall.

Bellows doesn't know yet where the sculptures will live, says it is more about the process that fosters community and stimulates conversation as they build it. He hopes it would become a community gathering place and a veteran's art gallery; a place for listening, learning and remembering.

He hopes to build what Scott Harrison has built in Nederland, a place for people to find joy, peace, a sense of childlike wonder and a sense of having been a part of its creation.

On Sunday, Harrison greeted the crowd and told them his story, about coming from the war with the dream of building a carousel, a symbol of innocence, a place far away from war. It was a day for veterans to catch a free ride on their animal of choice.

Local boy and girl scouts were in charge of the flags as the veterans and their families gathered round the carousel. Each person who wished to, took the microphone and mentioned a name, someone they wanted to honor, to remember, and as they did so, a scout would hand them a flower.

Local Nederland resident Mary Hughes said said both of her brothers had served in the military and one of them recently died. He dad was a World War II veteran. It was a chance to remember those who are no longer with us and then have a moment to reflect on them.

When the remembrances were finished, Dennis Kerr, a veteran who was stationed in Afghanistan played "Taps" on the trumpet as the carousel began a slow circle, no one on the animals, leading into the sound of just the whooshing of the gears. It was a powerful, wrenching silence; a time for memories and prayers.

When the ceremony was over, the veterans hopped aboard a giraffe, or a dolphin or a gorilla and felt the air whiz by them and listened to the calliope music.

(Originally published in the June 1, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)