GOLDEN, Colo. — At a busy corner of West Colfax and West 6th avenues, there is a triangle of peace.
"I grew up in Colorado, and I didn't know this was here," said Marine Corps Sgt. Paula Sarlls, a veteran who now considers the spot a sanctuary for prayer. "It is the United States Marine Corps Memorial. It needs to be fitting of that title. And when it was first built, it was. But now it's not."
The nearly 50-year-old memorial is showing its age. Recent rains damaged the electrical system that powers the lights for the flags and outlets. As a result, the flag poles have been empty for weeks.
Sarlls, like many Marines, consider the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Golden to be sacred ground, but the nonprofit that maintains the memorial can't afford the $15,000 needed to repair the electrical system.
"We need that lighting for those flags to be lit and flown 24 hours a day. It's a desperate need," said Riki Rarick, a Marine veteran and board member for the USMC Memorial Foundation, which is responsible for maintaining the site.
The nonprofit has a long-term vision for a multi-million dollar remodel, but the fundraising efforts have stalled and the project could be years from completion, Rarick said.
Until then, the Memorial must be maintained for ceremonies and sanctuary.
"The electrical system here is so old, it was built so long ago, I jokingly say it's the Brady Bunch era electrical system," Rarick said.
Initial estimates to repair and update the system are more than $14,000, and while the foundation is hoping someone will donate the service, no one has yet.
"We get a lot of people that come out here, politicians and big business, and say it's a worthy cause, yada, yada, yada, but they don't follow through," Rarick said. "We need people to help at this point. Otherwise, it's gonna go away, they'll pave this lot over, and it will be no more."
Sarlls said she can't imagine losing this memorial, where her late husband, who was also a Marine, asked for his ashes to be scattered, alongside many other Marine brothers and sisters.
Now, she is praying for the resources to ensure it will be here for years to come.
"I come out here to pray, for one thing, for help from God to get this done and just to remember my husband, remember what I'm doing this for," Sarlls said. "I want the Marines that counted on us to keep this going to know that we're doing what we can. People died so that we have these flags flying. And the least we can do is keep them up there."
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