Mayor declares Arcala Day

September 20, 2005

CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman Valley Life editor

Flags around Palmer will be lowered to half staff Wednesday, as an entire community pays tribute to a fallen son.

Wednesday is being proclaimed Sgt. Kurtis Arcala Day in Palmer, after the 2001 Palmer High School graduate who was killed in Iraq Sept. 11.

"We have the overall feeling that we've lost one of our sons, and we are all very, very saddened by that," said Palmer Mayor John Combs, who signed the proclamation. "This young man was just four years out of high school. Losing a son isn't something you could ever imagine. It's not supposed to happen."

A large turnout is expected for Arcala's memorial service, which is being held Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Raven Hall on the grounds of the Alaska State Fair. Combs said he will be reading the city's official proclamation at the service.

"Everyone in the city is very, very proud of the job Kurtis did, and the job all of our sons and daughters in the military are doing," Combs said. "I never got the opportunity to meet Kurtis, and for that, I feel diminished."