One year after former Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz cancelled the city’s public observance of Memorial Day, the annual event will return on Monday, May 31.
The ceremony will honor those who have sacrificed their lives in defense of liberty, freedom and democracy.
Last year, Berkowitz pre-recorded a short five-minute video for Memorial Day due to his concerns about COVID. That did not, however, stop area residents from organizing their own grassroots event which included a large in-person gathering on Memorial Day. The event included state legislators, numerous veterans and a keynote address from Lieut. Gen. Craig Campbell of the Alaska National Guard.
This year’s city sponsored event will take place 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Veterans’ Memorial on Delaney Park Strip (West 9th Ave and I street).
According to an announcement from the city the ceremony will include “patriotic music, spiritual words, distinguished speakers and laying of wreaths to honor the fallen.”
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Keynote speakers include Austin Quinn-Davidson, acting mayor of Anchorage, and Major Gen. Peter Andrysiak, commanding general of the U.S. Army Alaska and deputy commander of the U.S. Alaskan Command. During the ceremony, the MOA Military and Veterans Affairs Commission will pay special tribute to a longtime community advocate for Alaska’s veterans and military.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the ceremony and commission tribute, contact Commission Chair Pam Beale at 907-720-3923 or visit the commission’s Facebook page.
6 Comments
Good move! I always like going to Ft Richardson and their ceremony. Down town is to political and no real patriotic feeling involved.
She needs to just go away, this Fake Mayor.
Your just going to tell lies at the ceremony
Neil: I never knew they did a special one on Ft. Rich! Maybe we will check that one out this year instead! I agree with the other commenter… I do not care what insincere platitudes are uttered by the Usurper. To have her give the keynote seems so disingenuous… maybe if she was to extend an olive branch and ask the presumptive Mayor-elect, Dave Bronson, to say a few words… after all, he’s a retired Lt. Col!
I agree !
I was going to ask if anything is going on in the Valley for Memorial Day, since I don’t want to bring my kids to hear AQD speak.
Is there a parade anywhere?
‘Spiritual words?’ So which spirituality will the speaker be quoting? Budda?Confucius? Muhammed? Chief Geronimo? The Dali Lama? Hahahaha. Mother Theresa? Hahahaha.
The only words that’ll be heard ARE God-breathed scriptures. God-Breathed words! not spiritual words phrase, thats for spiritual leaders and healers who lived and are buried to this day in the ground!
Hahaha
When asked any.. that means any medical question(s) invoke HIPPA.. then shut up!