Veterans Day in Juneau will be honored with ceremonies, ringing of bell and new memorial park
- Jasz Garrett
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
The Veterans for Peace, Southeast Alaska Native Veterans, the VFW Taku Post 5559 and the American Legion will hold annual events on Tuesday.
The Juneau chapter of Veterans of Peace will observe Armistice Day with a traditional ringing of the bell in front of the Alaska State Capitol building at 11 a.m. The public is invited to attend and participate. The gathering will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Veterans For Peace has reestablished the tradition of ringing bells. The holiday originally began as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I.
"Bells were rung throughout the world to celebrate peace and the end of a war that killed or wounded more than 30 million people," the Veterans for Peace event description states. "It has become a worldwide tradition to observe the anniversary of the armistice by ringing bells to honor veterans and promote world peace."
Congress officially recognized Nov. 11 as Armistice Day in 1926 and made it a legal holiday in 1938. It was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower's proclamation.
The Southeast Alaska Native Veterans ceremony and luncheon is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall.
The ceremony is set to include a keynote address from Col. Erica Iverson of the U.S. Army and retired Col. Jeff Philippart of the U.S. Air Force. The Elders and Yaaw Tei Yi dance groups will perform. Additionally, informational tables will be available on the Vietnam-Era Veterans Land Allotment and the U.S. HUD-VASH program.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska's new Southeast Alaska Native Veterans Memorial Park has been finished in time for Veterans Day. An announcement on social media by Tlingit and Haida states the next phase of the memorial will include two totem poles honoring veterans and plaques that will be installed on the walls to commemorate the military branches and the people who have served.
Free coffee will be served to veterans at Tlingit and Haida's Aan Hít retail store and coffee shop on Tuesday as well.
The VFW Taku Post 5559 and American Legion Post 25 will honor Veterans Day at Centennial Hall at 11 a.m. with a public ceremony. Retired Gunnery Sgt. Corey Louton of the Marine Corps is the scheduled speaker. A community dinner will be hosted at 5 p.m. at the American Legion's lodge in Auke Bay.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
