Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Denver Unveils Permanent Memorial to United Flight 629 Bombing, 70 Years On

The tribute caps two years of outreach to descendants, pairing remembrance with exhibits that foreground the victims.

Overview

  • A granite monument naming passengers, crew and first responders was unveiled at the base of the former Stapleton control tower in Denver’s Central Park.
  • Descendants of the 44 victims and families of investigators attended after the Denver Police Museum traced relatives nationwide through genealogical research.
  • More than 100 relatives gathered at a Friday luncheon at the Denver Crime Lab, and families of 21 victims were present for the unveiling.
  • History Colorado is displaying artifacts and a section of the DC-6B baggage area showing blast damage, alongside personal items such as a jacket repurposed by widow Marion Hobgood.
  • The bombing—the first confirmed sabotage of a U.S. passenger plane—was carried out by John “Jack” Gilbert Graham using dynamite in his mother’s suitcase, with the weekend also featuring a symposium on its investigative legacy and an effort to add a Weld County crash‑site monument.