Local WWII veterans honored during Mat-Su College’s Veterans Day Ceremony

PALMER — World War II veterans Walter Fergus and Bob Murray were recognized at the Mat-Su College’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony as a special guests of honor Monday, Nov. 11.

Each Veterans Day, a Valley veteran is recognized for their service with guest speakers and traditional military ceremonies including a flag folding detail, POW/MIA Table Ceremony and TAPS.

Wasilla resident Jeanette Kincheloe started the ceremonies by singing the national anthem. Cadets from the Wasilla High School Air Force JROTC program performed the Table Ceremony and cadets from Colony High School’s U.S. Army JROTC program performed the Flag Folding Detail.

Each segment was dedicated to all the men and women who served in the U.S. military over generations. Like most Veterans Day events, there was a moment during the introductions where members of the audience who were either active duty or retired military were asked to stand up to be recognized for their service.

“We have veterans with us this afternoon with incredible stories…” Event moderator and retired U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Tom Spangler said.

Fergus and Murray currently reside at the Primrose Retirement Community in Wasilla. Primrose sales and marketing director Dana Mayeaux was excited to see the 90-year-old men of valor experience an auditorium filled with people across the community thanking them for their service.

“I think they’re amazing men,” Mayeaux said. “They definitely deserve it.”

Murray joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, in the midst of WWII. He served as an armorer loading fleets of planes with machine guns and bombs while he was stationed in Italy.

Fergus is Alaska’s only living World War II POW survivor. He served 30 years with the U.S. Army, serving from WWII to the Vietnam War. He retired as a master sergeant.

Fergus served as a gunner during airborne missions in Europe during WWII. He was shot down over Italy and he was taken to a German POW camp. He was held in a prison camp until the Allied Forces were able to rescue him toward the end of the war. He weighed 95 pounds when he was liberated.

“It doesn’t bother me now,” Fergus said.

During the Flag Folding Detail, Fergus walked on the stage and stood next to Colony’s JROTC students as Gene Horner played TAPS.

Fergus flew to Washington D.C. with the Last Frontier Honor Flight in 2017. He visited memorials dedicated to U.S. soldiers. Honor Flight is a national nonprofit with hubs across the U.S.

Last Frontier Honor Flight’s Randy Kimpton spoke during the Veterans Day ceremonies. He said the Last Frontier Honor Flight has transported over 300 Alaskan veterans to D.C.

“What an honor flight does for veterans is amazing,” Kimpton said. “It gives them closure.”

Fergus’ daughter, Mary Barr, was one of several family members that attended the event to show their support. She said that she enjoyed the ceremony.

“It was lovely. They did a marvelous job with his story,” Barr said. “He never talked about the war.

Fergus’ memory is foggy when it comes to the details but he knows that he survived and he doesn’t regret his lengthy military career.

“I survived. That’s the main thing. There are a lot of us that did not,” Fergus said.

Fergus said that when he first joined the military, his father (who also served) didn’t want him to go. He said that he got closure toward the end of his father’s life. He said that his father told him he did the right thing by joining.

“I do not regret any of this. There are some parts I could have done without but I don’t regret the experience,” Fergus said with a smile.

Spangler said the Veterans Day Ceremony has grown substantially since the first event, which took place around the school’s flagpole. He said that it’s gone from a crowd of 15 to 20 people to over 200 since then. He said there’s an ever-growing number of local active duty and retired military that attend this event.

Many of these attending military members show up with families in their formal uniforms spanning over multiple generations. Spangler said this event is a great bridge between the civilians and those who’ve served their country.

“What I love is the audience, they are the Korean War veterans, the Vietnam War veterans, and there’s active duty military here as well. So, there’s three to four generations attending this ceremony and I think they really respect the high school cadets on stage. They probably remind them of when they were younger,” Spangler said.

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