Salute to soldiers
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Bob Harrison of American Legion Post 20 acknowledges the rifle salute near the end of Thursday's ceremony.
Photo by M. Scott Moon
Perhaps it was a lingering national patriotism after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, maybe a heightened awareness of current hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan or possibly the simple fact that the ceremony was moved indoors.
Something brought an unexpected crowd of nearly 300 to celebrate Veterans Day in the central Kenai Peninsula this year, nearly doubling last year's attendance.
A year ago, a member of the veterans' color guard actually collapsed in the cold blustery wind sweeping across Leif Hansen Memorial Park in Kenai. He recovered soon afterward.
Members of Kenai Peninsula veterans organizations, elected officials and area residents packed into the large meeting room of the Soldotna Sports Center this year, escaping the bite of winter to honor veterans living and dead.
Anticipating more than the 150 who attended last year, veteran organizers set up 200 chairs for Thursday's event. An additional 75 chairs were brought out as people filed in.
Sponsored by American Legion Post 20 in Kenai, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10046 in Soldotna and AMVETS Post 4 in Soldotna, the memorial celebration was hosted by the VFW this year and featured Alaska folk singer "Hobo Jim" Varsos.
"I'm really not here to make a speech, but just to say, 'Thank you,'" Varsos said.
Bob Harrison of American Legion Post 20 acknowledges the rifle salute near the end of Thursday's ceremony.
Photo by M. Scott Moon
"It's really an honor for me to be in front of all of you who served," he said.
Alaska's "official balladeer," the guitar-playing singer visited and entertained American soldiers in the hills of Afghanistan earlier this year and said he is working out details to be able to entertain in Iraq next.
"Right after Sept. 11 (2001), I went to a recruiter and said I wanted to sign up.
"I was 48. The recruiter laughed," Varsos said.
The singer pleaded, saying he could pump gas or something, relieving some 19-year-old soldier from the menial task and allowing the younger person to go fight.
"'If it comes to that, I'll be sure to call you,' the recruiter told me," Varsos said.
"I wanted to do something. I thought, I'll do what I do best, my guitar," he said.
Varsos received an invitation from the Anchorage-based 501st Parachute Infantry, received clearance from the Army to make the trip and joined the troops in April, visiting forward fire bases around Afghanistan.
"It was inspiring to me to see the camaraderie among all the troops over there," Varsos said.
He said he had been warned about suicide bombers threatening the safety of U.S. troops and about car bombers that might drive up to convoys.
"One day we were out and you could see up into the hills.
"I saw all these people young children, old shepherds all running down toward us, and I thought, 'Here it comes.'
"Then they started raising their thumbs (gesturing) 'Thank you,'" Varsos said.
"The news gets filtered over here," he said.
"You don't see all that. We're over there rebuilding mosques, rebuilding schools and historical sites.
"It was quite a thrill for me to be part of that," he said.
Varsos told the veterans and their family members in the audience that when he voted in this year's national election without the fear people have in some other countries of being attacked at the polls "I could thank a veteran."
Master of ceremonies and VFW post chaplain Herb Stettler read the poetic tribute to fallen veterans, "In Flanders Field," and introduced officials from the area veterans organizations.
Jim Walters, commander of the AMVETS post said, "On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the millions of American veterans who placed their lives on the line for freedom.
"We remember what we have been given: freedom, democracy and the American way of life," he said.
Bill Bartlett, commander of the American Legion post said, "We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to these patriots."
Following the addresses from the veterans group officials, memorial wreaths were placed near the podium and a rifle team outside fired a rifle salute while Tim Wisniewski played taps.
"Our prayer is that the sacrifice of veterans of the past will ensure the future for those to come," Stettler said.