CINCINNATI -- Chief Warrant Officer Robert Abbott Jr.'s dog tag was the first remembrance to be offered up to a glowing cauldron of molten bronze.
His were followed by artifacts from 11 other deceased veterans from Colorado, all placed into a 2,200-degree crucible at The Verdin Company.
It's all part of a program by the Honor Bell Foundation to commemorate and pay respect to veterans who have died. The first bell, weighing half a ton, will go to Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.
"We have military artifacts such as a Purple Heart medal, a coin from a Medal of Honor recipient," said Louis Olivera, the executive director and founder of the Honor Bell Foundation.
The hope is to eventually make 133 Honor Bells.
"I know my husband would be very honored," Abbott's widow, Nancy, said Monday.
Watch the video above to see video from Monday's forging ceremony.
