Photo By Chief Petty Officer Shawn Eggert | Community members from Unalaska, Alaska, gather at the Bering Sea Patrol Memorial at...... read more read more
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UNALASKA, Alaska - Dutch Harbor, Alaska, a place perhaps most famous for crabbing, has a well-documented and storied place in the annals of U.S. military history. Grass-covered pillboxes, relics from a time when Japanese pilots bombed Alaska during World War II, dot the shores of Unalaska Island and Amaknak Island like concrete igloos and a small forest of wooden crosses bearing the names of Navy and Coast Guard members sprout from the hills of Unalaska Memorial Park.
Monday, the community of Dutch Harbor came together in the shadow of those hills to honor those Navy and Coast Guard members along with all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have lost their lives in service to their country.
Despite cold weather, gray skies and occasionally strong gusts of wind and rain, hundreds of Unalaska residents gathered at the site of the Bering Sea Patrol Memorial for the town’s annual Memorial Day ceremony. It was a day for them to remember and thank the military members who have had such a positive impact on the history of their community and the United States.
“Memorial Day is an important day to me,” said Capt. Paul Mehler, commander, Sector Anchorage, who spoke at the event. “It’s a day of education when we can teach our young people the importance of remembering those who have served and lost their lives in defense of the freedoms assured by our Constitution. I was honored to have been asked to speak to the people of Dutch Harbor and to help them carry on that tradition.”
Community bonds are especially strong in small towns and, with a population of only approximately 4,000 people, the loss of a local military member or first responder can be felt in every home.
Among those honored during the 2014 ceremony was Petty Officer 2nd Class Michal Marciniak, a marine safety technician who served at Marine Safety Detachment Unalaska from May 2013 until his passing March 18. Marciniak was praised for his dedication to service and his many contributions to the community which included youth wrestling instruction at a local church, self-defense training for community members and volunteer firefighting.
“Michal was just a genuinely good person,” said Lt. Mark Labert, supervisor, MSD Unalaska. “His talent for this job and devotion to duty were admirable, but his love of family and community are what truly defined him as a man.”
A commemorative stone bearing Marciniak’s name was placed at the foot of the Bering Sea Patrol Memorial which honors members of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, a forbearer of the Coast Guard who provided protection to Alaska and its people from 1865 to 1915. Marciniak, along with Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Obendorf who lost his life to injuries sustained in the course of rescue operations in the Bering Sea aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche Nov. 11, 2013, were only two of the many men and women honored during the ceremony.
For the people of Unalaska, the memories of their service to their nation, like the silent fortifications decorating Dutch Harbor’s hillsides, will serve as a constant reminder of their dedication and sacrifice for decades to come.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2014 19:53 |
| Story ID: | 131732 |
| Location: | UNALASKA, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 952 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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