Juneau held a solemn Memorial Day

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Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 10:45 AM

By Jordan Lewis

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Members of The American Legion Auke Bay Post 25 and others presenting memorial wreaths (Photo by Jordan Lewis/KINY)

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Monday was Memorial Day, a day to honor our soldiers who are no longer with us.

Ahead of Memorial Day, Members of the American Legion Post 25 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Taku Post 5559, came onto Action Line and talked about its history.

American Legion Member Bill Clutton talked about the origins of Memorial Day.

"The beginnings of Memorial Day Day back in 1868, when General John Logan declared the day for the purpose of destroying grave sites of the fallen from the Civil War with flowers, and it was originally it was called Decoration Day. And it became more formally recognized under Lyndon, President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. And then it became an official I think, in 71. Was it an actual Memorial Day and it was designed specifically to honor the fallen and in defense of this country in all the wars, not just the Civil War."

Veterans of Foreign Wars Dan Mccrummen added some additional context.

"To put that a little bit into context, in the Civil War had the greatest number of military deaths of any of the wars that we've been involved in. It was a little over 2% of the population of this country at that time were in the military and died as a result of the war. So that's, you know, you think about that that's, that's a lot of people."

Senator Lisa Murkowski also released a statement on Memorial Day.

“On Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who have served our nation and made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.  Over the course of more than two centuries, countless Americans have given what President Lincoln called the “last full measure of devotion”—their lives—to protect our nation and uphold its ideals. Memorial Day is an occasion to remember all who laid down their lives so that we could go on with our own, and to reflect on what their service has meant to our nation," Senator Murkowski said.

"Alaska has long been home to a significant number of military personnel and their families. The servicemembers who are stationed in our state have storied histories in World War II, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the War on Terror, and many other theaters and conflicts. We are proud of that, and we are grateful to these heroes and patriots for stepping up to protect and defend us, both in peacetime and in war. We can never properly thank them, but we remember them, pay tribute to them, and keep their memories with us. No matter how you plan to spend your Memorial Day, I hope you will take time to reflect and pay your respects to those who served. Freedom isn’t free, and it’s because of their sacrifices that we can continue to count our blessings as Americans. God bless them, their families, and our nation—on Memorial Day, and every day.”

Here are photos from the American Legion's service held at Memorial Park.

(Photo Credits to Jordan Lewis/KINY)

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