Alaska XI

Just a quick, promised, update today.

When I last wrote about the memorial at Wasilla, Alaska, I said I had no idea how Patrick Roy, my son's brother's name came to be listed among those honored. I, also, promised to try to find out and update you here if I learned anything.

Well, I tracked down some of the folks who are responsible for the memorial and they explained that Pat's name, along with all the others lost on the USS Cole, was added at the request of one of the service organizations. So, all of the 17 lost on the Cole are remembered here along with many others both living and dead.

Reading the other names on this panel I recognize some of them as pat's shipmates, one of whom is from Wasilla. I don't know them all, but I suspect this is the full listing. Here together, as then.

Sometimes faith is restored.

Next time, on the 14th, we'll check back on California, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Alaska, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of page.

Alaska X

Some years ago I was in Alaska and at Palmer photographed a memorial to vets. Here is what it looked like then and you can find a post about it elsewhere on this site. Out behind it you are looking at POW/MIA mountain.

Over time it was decided to move it to another site in Wasilla. During the moving process it was badly damaged and a new memorial was designed and erected. As much as I loved the original, I must say they outdid themselves with the new one.

 

 I visited in March, 2020 and you can see that there was quite a bit of snow and ice, so some of the details remain a mystery although there are several components from the original.

The panels are filled with the names of those who served, more than 2,000.

 Not all panels are filled in, leaving room for the future.

Some of the those from Alaska, and a few others though none of these as far as I can tell are among the 57 lost in 'Nam.

These are a couple of the components from the original Mat-Su site.

A personal note:

As my son and I negotiated the snow and ice we found ourselves at the same panel. Somehow, out of the thousands of names we were each drawn to this panel and there, apparently calling to us, was this.

Pat is my son's brother. He was lost in the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen. How or why his name is honored here I do not know. I have a call in to the Mayor of Wasilla's office to see if I can get any additional information. If, or when, I learn anything I will update it here.

In the meantime, ponder this quote from George Hays at the re-dedication of this, the Mat-Su Veterans Memorial Wall of Honor.

“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they ever made a difference in the world, a veteran doesn’t have that problem,”

                                                            ~George Hays 

The memorial is located on Wasilla Fishhook Road, north of Wasilla.

Next time, on the 16th, we will revisit Arizona, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Alaska, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Alaska IV

In a past post, I whined a bit about how Alaska does not have a specific Vietnam memorial. They have done something that is unique, I believe!

While, again, it is not specific to Vietnam, the state did name a previously unnamed mountain as Mt. POW-MIA.

From the Wall of Honor, at the Matsu Visitor's Center, you can look directly at it. As I said in the last post the series of walls seem to form an arrow head pointing right at it. Hazel told me that, as far as she knew, this had not been planned, but agreed that it seemed to be so!

My brother and I seriously discussed renting a chopper (or something) and flying over to get better pics, but as you can see from the photos, the weather would just not co-operate. It was cloudy and wet the whole time we were there.

A Vietnam vet, a marine, climbed the mountain and planted the POW/MIA flag at the summit.

The plaque in the first picture is at the Matsu visitors Center near the memorial.

You can find more about this story and pics of him planting the flag, here;

http://www.vnvmc-ak.com/PhotoPages/MTPOWMIA.htm

Alaska III

On the south side of Wasilla, heading back towards Anchorage, we found this memorial at the Matsu Visitors Center. I noticed on another site that the Center is technically located in Palmer, Alaska. However, it is hard to miss as you travel from Anchorage towards Wasilla.

Called the Wall Of Honor, it lists the names of vets from a variety of operations. It includes many from Vietnam. In fact, any vet who served honorably can have his name included on one of the walls.

The first set of six panels on the first and largest of the wall is complete, but there is still quite a bit of room for additions

Each year memorial services are held on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Names are added periodically, too.

As I stood looking at the walls and reading names, it occurred to me that the shape of the walls resembled an arrow head. It seems to be pointing at Mt. POW-MIA directly behind the wall in the not to far distance. I will post more about the Mountain in my next post.

As stated above, this memorial is open to any service person who served Honorably. It does not matter in which war or where you are from. In fact, someone has added Audie Murphy to this site. If anyone would like to have a name included on this memorial applications may be gotten from;

Hazel Schwulst
2076 South Grand Birch
Wasilla, Alaska, 99654

There is a $50.00 fee for the sand blasting process and helps with upkeep of the site.

I spoke with Hazel and she told me that volunteers care for the site, replace flags as necessary and that she makes the stencils for newly added names, herself. Flags have to be replace fairly often as the wind blows constantly at the site. Whenever possible, they will place relatives next to each other and that they have several fathers and sons together on the wall.

If you get to Alaska, this site is well worth a visit. Wasilla is only about 40 miles north of Anchorage.

The next post, April 25, will be about Mt. POW-MIA; a unique and interesting story!

Alaska II

North of Anchorage, about 40 miles, is Wasilla. It has two vet memorial sites. Neither is specifically Vietnam, but we are included at both sites.

On the northern side of the city we found this nice little park. The park, itself, is dedicated to all vets but many of the pavers surrounding the central point are dedicated to Vietnam vets.

It sits on the corner of Lucille Street and Nelson Ave and is an inviting, peaceful place to spend a little time.