AURORA (KDVR) — Dedicated nine years ago, the Colorado Freedom Memorial contains the names of over 6,000 Coloradans who were killed in action in U.S. wars ranging from the Spanish-American War to the present.

Memorial Day weekend at the Colorado Freedom Memorial will once again host its Colorado Remembers event on Saturday.

You might recognize Rick Crandall’s voice before you recognize his face. He has been a radio personality on Denver’s airwaves for 30 years, but before he held a microphone in Denver, he held a microphone for the United States Air Force.

“I was on the radio doing a morning radio show at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam,” said Crandall.

Crandall served his country but knows others paid the ultimate price. His gratitude resulted in the creation of the Colorado Freedom Memorial. 

“It took 12 years to raise the money to build the memorial,” said Crandall.

Over six thousand names of Colorado men and women are etched on the 12-feet-high glass panels that sit on the bases of granite. Water, grass, benches and flags from the various branches of service provide companionship to the souls that once bore earthly names.  

When Crandall stops and looks at the memorial he feels, “a little bit of sadness for the families, but mostly I think about each one of these names. Whenever I am out here I’ll find one and just stop, and just talk to him.”

Crandall said he is not finished. He has plans to expand the memorial that he said is not about him, but the men and women of Colorado who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Colorado Remembers starts Saturday morning at 756 Telluride St. in Aurora. It kicks off at 8 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast.