GOLDEN, Colo. — The U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Golden is set to mark its 47th anniversary as it undergoes security upgrades after vandals targeted the memorial last month.
Marines like Sgt. Paula Sarlls call the Golden memorial sacred ground.
"It's a place to come and remember the fallen," said Sarlls. "It changes people's lives. I have a million anecdotal stories, but for me, personally, it changed our life."
She and her late husband Tony, also a Marine, felt at home at the site where she scattered his ashes years ago.
"When I'm here, and I know he's here, it's just a special place," said Sarlls, president of the USMC Memorial Foundation, the nonprofit that maintains the memorial.
When vandals targeted the monuments there with anti-war graffiti last month, volunteers acted fast and started looking for long-term solutions.
"We have a Marine that came out and cleaned it up right away," said Sarlls. "And we made so many connections who are willing to help."
It's not the first time they've united for a cause.
Last year, after flooding damaged the aging electrical system, the USMC Memorial Foundation put out a call for help.
Generous Denver7 Gives viewers donated nearly $8,000 for a new system now lighting the flags.
While the long-term plan to completely renovate the memorial is gaining ground, it is years away.
So volunteers are installing security cameras and will be applying a protective coating that will make spray paint easier to wash off.
They're also holding a fundraiser for the 47th Anniversary Saturday, taking donations to keep the flags flying and the sacred space safe for everyone to enjoy.
"That's really what [the memorial] means: we are here, and we're not forgotten," said Sarlls.
The 47th anniversary celebration is this Saturday at 6:30 p.m., and will include a patriotic concert by Dave Bray USA. A $50 donation is required for entry. If you'd like to donate to the memorial, click here.
