Traveling memorial on display at Patriot Park site in Somerset County

A traveling American flag memorial is on display at a Somerset County site dedicated to honoring those who fought and died in the global war on terror.

The Veterans & Athletes United’s Fallen Hero Memorial is made of 7,056 dog tags and includes 50 gold stars in recognition of Gold Star families. It arrived at Patriot Park Global War on Terrorism Memorial this week and will be on display through July 20.

Patriot Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to dusk.

Ground for Patriot Park was broken last year along Route 30 in Stonycreek, just west of the entrance to the Flight 93 National Memorial where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field Sept. 11, 2001, after being hijacked by terrorists. Members of the Patriot Park Foundation continue to raise money for the building of the memorial and an initial phase was completed in time for the 20th anniversary of the crash.

Organizers intend to honor the military men and women who continued the fight that started over the skies of Western Pennsylvania with the new memorial park. It is expected to take several million dollars to complete.

Forty passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93 died a few miles away after fighting back against terrorists who hijacked the plane as part of a coordinated effort in which three other planes crashed into targets that day in New York City and Arlington, Va.