‘We owe so much to them’: Community honors generations of fallen heroes

Samantha Spitz
·1 min read

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Tributes to honor generations of fallen heroes are happening across the state for Memorial Day weekend.

Hundreds of people gathered in Aurora at the Colorado Freedom Memorial for the Colorado Remembers Ceremony featuring an F-16 flyover, a presentation of the USS Arizona Relic and recognition of all veterans in attendance.

Things to do for Memorial Day weekend near Denver

“It’s that one time a year when we remember that hundreds of thousands of Americans died over the years defending not only our freedom here in America but freedom for people around the world,” Rick Crandall, Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation CEO said.

Founded in 2002, Crandall created the Colorado Freedom Memorial to honor Coloradans who served and never returned home. The names of more than 6,000 veterans fill the glass panels of the memorial.

“No one has done what we have done here by putting all of those names from all of those wars together in one place and displaying how they’re displayed here,” Crandall said.

Vietnam Veteran Carl Cedervall and WWII Veteran Richard Keller attend the ceremony every year.

“We owe so much to them,” Keller said. “Guys like me, we went in and were so fortunate to come back, but they didn’t, and I feel so greatly for them, and thankful that they’ve kept our country free.”

Crandall said they are fundraising to build a visitor center to teach future generations about those who have fallen.

Colorado artist unveils sculpture destined for memorial in Washington D.C.

“We’re trying to redefine the way we remember and honor the fallen by not only showing you a name which is what most memorials do, we want to teach you about the people behind that name,” Crandall said.

The Colorado Freedom Memorial is located at 756 Telluride St. in Aurora.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.