Dozens gather at Veterans Wall of Honor for Memorial Day ceremony (copy)

They all take turns hosting the Memorial Day event each, and they formed the Mat-Su Veterans Wall of Honor Association, a foundation dedicated to preserving and adding to the stone memorial. AMVETS post 9 hosted this year.

With the most recent addition to the wall, another 2,000 names can be added. Cottle reminded everyone that all veterans (past and present) with an honorable discharge are eligible to get their name on the wall, and if they want to place someone’s name there, to fill out a form with any of the local military organizations.

“That’s how you get your name on the wall. You don’t have to be dead,” Cottle said.

Patty Mazonna-Jones and her mother Penny Mazonna from the American Legion Auxiliary didn’t have proclomations. They just had a simple yet emotional story to share. The audience immediately took to them and cheered them on to finish as they choked up.

Mazonna-Jones grew up in the Valley and around the American Legion. She said this Memorial Day event is an annual family tradition.

“I was born and raised to support our military,” Mazonna-Jones said.

Mazonna-Jones was especially emotional as she told the story of how she learned about the Memorial Day tradition of passing out and wearing poppies. She was barely able to push through it and the audience encouraged her to keep going.

She shared the story about how her late grandfather Karl Caswell explained how the resilient plants grew in the most war ravaged landscapes and eventually became a symbol worn to honor the soldiers who gave their lives to protect our country’s freedom. His name is on the wall.

“I thank you for loving and protecting me. I want to thank you for serving our country. I want to thank you for teaching me about all the sacrifices that have been made for all of us to be here today,” Mazonna-Jones said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com