Hundreds gather to help restore vandalized Colorado Freedom Memorial
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(FOX 31 Denver)
Robert and Jean Terry stood looking up at the Colorado Freedom Memorial under a row of names. “Your brother was 14th … I see him,” they said pointing above on the wall.
The Terrys came to visit and remember her brother Raymond Stolte who was killed in WWII.
The Freedom Memorial is dedicated to all from Colorado who died while defending freedom.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But July 3rd, someone vandalized it causing at least $55,000 in damage.
Stolte's name is just one panel over from the glass that someone smashed the day before Independence Day.
"It's hard to understand the mindset of someone that would damage something like this,” Robert Terry said. “You know it's just beyond my comprehension.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some of their friends are also among six thousand names of those who died from Colorado.
More than half of whom never made it back home but were buried overseas.
"They were headed back to the fire base when the IED went off under his vehicle,” said John Harris whose son Blake was killed in Iraq 10 years ago and now appears on the memorial.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Related stories...
"I think it's an affront to every family member that has a name on the memorial."
"Their kids are on this memorial,” said Colorado Freedom Memorial founder Rick Crandall. “So whoever breaks it you broke a piece of glass you broke the heart of families whose hearts have been broken enough already. I mean this is beyond sick to me."