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Monday Marks First Memorial Day For Colorado Freedom Memorial

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- Hundreds of people visited the Colorado Freedom Memorial on Monday. It was the first Memorial Day where visitors could visit the unique structure.

Colorado's newest memorial is located at Springhill Park on Telluride Street just north of 6th Avenue in Aurora. It was 13 years in the making thanks to Rick Crandall, the founder of the Freedom Memorial.

The names of six thousand fallen U.S. servicemen and women are immortalized in panels of glass. The slanted panels symbolize the fallen soldiers. The jagged pieces are reminiscent of Colorado's mountains and the water surrounding it represents a war fought overseas.

One visitor to the new memorial, Tom Benton, remembered his school days friend Charles Edward Manzanares.

"He was a good buddy and just a good person. He died far too young," said Benton.

Manzanares was killed in Vietnam in 1965.

The memorial was erected to ensure the state's fallen are not forgotten.

"I think it's beautiful," said Breanna Foote.

She and her husband Kyle visited the memorial to pay their respects to those killed in action. While there, they discovered a personal connection.

"I found a friend that I had gone to basic training with who had been killed in action," said Kyle.

"Makes me feel lucky because I still have my husband after two tours, very, very lucky," said Breanna.

George Gaddy left Vietnam 40 years ago but he's still haunted by his homecoming.

"When I came home I really felt bad because we had, like we did something wrong or something," said Gaddy.

The new memorial is helping Gaddy overcome those feelings.

"I'm just thankful that somebody remembers us," said Gaddy.

LINK: Colorado Freedom Memorial

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