Wrangell celebrates Veterans Day

Communities around the country took time to commemorate the men and women this Veterans Day, and Wrangell was no exception. A pair of hearty dinners were served by local service organizations to commemorate the service given by its men and women.

At the Elks Club on Nov. 5, the Emblem Club No. 87 hosted its traditional Veterans Day dinner. One of the few times the club opens its door to non-members each year, around 50 guests were served dinner – better than half of these were veterans, representing all five armed services.

Attendees were treated to a meal of chicken pot pie, handmade by Carrie Wallace and other women of the Emblem Club. The club keeps a running log of who attends each year in order to make sure no one gets left out, and delivered meals to two veterans who were otherwise unable to attend.

The Emblem Club covers costs for the event through its charity account and donations.

A number of offices and businesses were closed on Nov. 11 itself to mark the holiday, which since 1954 has honored veterans of all wars. The date originally commemorated veterans of World War I, which had ended that day in 1918.

That evening nearly a century later, American Legion Post 6 held its annual dinner, which for the second year in a row featured prime rib as its main course. The dinner was a chance for people to meet and eat together, share stories and reflect on those who had at various times of their lives given service to the country.

"It was a wonderful turnout," said Post Commander Chuck Petticrew.

A list of all the veterans there had been drawn up, each of them thanked in turn for their service. "We had to keep adding to it," he said of the list.

Though he didn't thank himself, Petticrew was among Wrangell's veterans, having joined the Army in 1966. He was trained in Washington and spent his service in Alaska, serving in the Wrangell and Petersburg National Guard Units until they were disbanded in 1968. He made his sergeant stripes and served until 1972.

While the meal was held to feed the veterans still with us, time was taken to remember those unable to attend, such as those missing in action or taken prisoner. A ceremonial place setting was set out for POW/MIA soldiers, and Father Thomas Weiss of St. Rose-Lima Catholic Church shared the meaning behind each feature of the unoccupied placement.

The main course of the meal was 180 pounds of prime rib, which the Legion acquired at discount from City Market. Store owner Benn Curtis explained it was one way to give back to Wrangell's veterans. The kitchen staff at the Stikine Inn helped by preparing the meat for the meal, also at a discount, which was then served up by volunteers and members of the Legion Auxiliary Unit 6.

"It's a worthy cause," said Auxiliary president Marilyn Mork, who coordinated the event.

"I appreciate all of them," said Mike Lockabey, who helped dish up cuts of prime rib.

Side dishes and desserts were prepared by guests and organizers both, a hearty array of salads, potatoes, breads and treats.

In addition to getting fed, some of the soldiers got to share their stories, and some of the lessons they took with them after military service.

Willy Eyon jokingly recounted parts of his first American Legion convention in Hawaii, the summer of 1973. Of the 55 Legionnaires coming from Alaska, he said 10 were from Wrangell.

"It took a week to fly us all over," he recalled. Unable to bring musicians of their own, Eyon said the different states' delegations all had to hire the same Honolulu high school band to represent them individually.

Speaking on his military experience, Eyon said it was due to the GI Bill that he was able to go to school and learn to shipbuild after he got out of the Army in 1953. He would later use those skills while constructing the first three ferries of Alaska's marine highway system.

Einar Haaseth served in the Army from 1964 to 1966. After training to learn how to operate a combat radio he served a year and a half in Vietnam. Looking back on his military service, he said he appreciated the perspective it gave him, being able to meet people from so many different walks of life. When he returned to Wrangell afterward he better appreciated having the opportunity to have been raised in rural Alaska.

"Truthfully, I should've stayed in," Eyon reflected. "I would have got to travel more."