Local veterans and service members observed Memorial Day, a remembrance for fallen U.S. soldiers, in Kenai on Monday. They held a wreath-laying ceremony in Kenai that organizers said commemorates their sacrifices.
The sun is shining on Leif Hansen Memorial Park, where a few dozen people are gathered to mark the occasion. They’re standing in front of the park’s Veteran’s and Mariner’s Memorial monument. A woman hands out red poppies to attendees.
The annual Memorial Day ceremony is organized by the American Legion Post 20. That’s the local chapter of the country’s largest veterans service organization. The solemn mood in the gathered crowd is a stark contrast to rainbow colored kites flying overhead from a nearby field.
Dave Dewey, who runs Soldotna’s Veterans of Foreign Wars post, spoke on Memorial Day at the start of the event. He said they’ve come to honor fallen soldiers from across the United States’ history, whether they’re buried in Arlington or fallen in places unknown.
Dewey says Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember ordinary people who showed extraordinary valor. He says a forgotten element of Memorial Day are the loved ones a soldier leaves behind. He says American citizens should honor those sacrifices.
“Nobody can replace those fallen heroes, especially in the eyes of their families, but we can offer shoulders to cry on, assistance with educational expenses and assurance that their loved ones’ sacrifice will not be forgotten,” he said. “There are many ways to honor the fallen.”
Then Mike Meredith takes the podium. He’s the chaplain for the local American Legion. He recites “In Flanders Fields,” a 1915 poem that originated the red poppy flower as a symbol of fallen soldiers.
“In Flander’s Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row that mark our place; and in the sky the larks, still bravely singing, fly,” he reads.
The ceremony ends with legion members laying wreaths adorned with American flags and red, white and blue flowers at the base of the park’s memorial monument. People place their red poppies in the wreaths. Some salute before returning to their seats.
A seven-member honor guard offers a rifle salute, firing 21 shots into the air.
Dewey, the post commander, calls for a moment of silence and prayer.
