Memorial Day observations honor fallen soldiers, military families

By Delcenia Cosman

Reporter, Homer Independent Press

Many people hail Memorial Day as the official start of summer, hallmarked by barbecues, sales and family gatherings over the long weekend. For the dozens of local veterans, current service members and their families in the southern Kenai Peninsula, Memorial Day is a solemn occasion for remembrance. 

As is their yearly tradition, members of the Homer American Legion Post 16, Anchor Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10221 and Ninilchik American Legion Post 18 held ceremonies on Monday for fallen service members at the Homer, Anchor Point and Ninilchik cemeteries. 

At the Hickerson Memorial Cemetery on Diamond Ridge Road, chaplain Paula Gallagher of the American Legion Post 16 Auxiliary began by offering a prayer for “those brave men and women who have died for the cause of freedom.”

Post Cmdr. Thomas Gregoire called Memorial Day “a solemn occasion to pay tribute” to fallen soldiers and asked all gathered at the cemetery to remember the sacrifices made by the few for the many. 

“‘Freedom is not free,’” he said, quoting Paul W. Airey, who served as the first Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force. 

“This statement holds true for the sacrifices that our nation’s heroes made to ensure that we enjoy the freedoms we have today,” Gregoire said. “On this Memorial Day, let us pause and reflect on the valor of our brave service members who paid the ultimate price for their country.”

There are several ways, he said, to meaningfully honor fallen service members, including talking with veterans about the friends they lost to war, and “living our own lives with purpose and meaning through acts of service, leadership and courage.”

“These conversations can provide a source of comfort and inspiration to veterans who may still be struggling with the physical, emotional or psychological toll of their wartime service,” Gregoire said. “It can also serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for living by reflecting on the sacrifices and values of our fallen heroes. We can honor their legacy … and make it a positive impact on our own communities and beyond.”

At the Kallman Cemetery a few miles north of Anchor Point, VFW Post 10221 Cmdr. Charles Collins called on others to also remember the families of fallen soldiers, as well as the survivors of war.

“We need to be present for them as grateful American citizens. Nobody can replace these fallen heroes, especially in the eyes of their families, but we can offer shoulders to cry on, assistance where we can, assurances that their loved ones’ sacrifices will not be forgotten,” he said. 

He echoed Gregoire’s words, that the “true way to honor the fallen” was to live in a way worthy of their sacrifice.

“That means strengthening our communities, helping our fellow veterans, supporting military families and teaching the next generation what this day truly means,” Collins said. “We must tell their stories, must speak their names. We must also ensure that our children and grandchildren understand the freedoms that they inherit were paid with courage, service and sacrifice.”

Post 18 Cmdr. Gary Jackinsky also asked community members gathered at the American Legion Cemetery in Ninilchik to “remember our gold star families” — the families who have lost loved ones in the line of active duty — and to honor their memory “with actions, not just our words.”

Each memorial service concluded with a three-volley rifle salute by an honor guard and the playing of taps.