Lt. Governor, State Lawmakers Mark 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII

DENVER - Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II by signing a proclamation to honor the dedication and hard work of the men and women who served in the war and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Lt. Gov. Primavera was joined by Sen. Nancy Todd, Sen. Bob Gardner, Rep. Rhonda Fields, and Rep. Mike Weissman, and Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation founder Rick Crandall. 

“It’s our responsibility to ensure that future generations understand the sacrifice made by those who served our country during World War II,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “Seventy-five years after the end of the war, we must pay tribute to those veterans and work to keep their legacies alive.”

From 1941 - 1945, 250,000 Coloradans served in World War II and more than 2,500 were killed in action or died from wounds suffered on the battlefield. Colorado has a rich history of military service in World War II and beyond. Colorado is home to the famed 10th Mountain Division, which trained in the Colorado Rockies at Camp Hale, and the Colorado National Guard’s 157th Infantry Regiment, which spent 511 days in continuous combat and liberated the Dachau concentration camp. 

In 2013, the Colorado Freedom Memorial was dedicated and honors all Colorado veterans who have been killed in action since the Spanish-American War, including those from World War II. 

The proclamation mirrors a resolution sponsored by Senators Todd and Gardner and Representatives Carver and Weissman that was considered earlier in the day during the legislature's annual Military Appreciation Day. Read the proclamation here, the resolution here and view photos from the proclamation signing here. 

###