BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Buckley Space Force Base service members and Aurora community members gathered at the Colorado Freedom Memorial to honor the state's fallen soldiers on May 25th, 2024.
The memorial grounds feature the names of over six thousand service members from Colorado who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. It was an impactful setting for the Colorado Remembers Memorial Day tribute.
"Today, we gather with heavy hearts and yet profound gratitude as we pay tribute to over six thousand service members. Those names etched into history, on these walls behind me, from the state of Colorado made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms,” Col. Heidi Dexter, Space Base Delta 2 commander, said. “These brave souls have left an indelible mark on our lives, our communities, and our nation's history."
The presence of the Gold Star Families underscored the ongoing impact of the sacrifices made by their loved ones, adding a deeply personal dimension to the ceremony. Their participation, community, and military presence highlighted a shared commitment to honoring and remembering the fallen, ensuring their legacy remains cherished and upheld.
“This year's Colorado Remembers ceremony was almost perfect, we had a tremendous crowd, beautiful weather and amazing support from the military community,” Rick Crandall, Colorado Freedom Memorial chief executive officer, said. “It was a ceremony worthy of the sacrifice made by our fallen Coloradans.”
An expansion is planned for the memorial that includes a community center, serving as a place of reflection, education and as a testament to the fallen heroes. In addition, a fragment of the USS Arizona, a battleship built in the mid-1910s, that served in World War I and was sunk in the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941, was placed on display.
Throughout the event, the atmosphere was solemn as those in attendance reflected on the sacrifices made by those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation's freedoms. The engraved names on the memorial walls stand as a stark reminder of the costs of these liberties.