Remembering, and honoring, the forgotten:Veteran John Morrissey is a man with a mission

MAT-SU John J. Morrissey is a survivor. He survived the Vietnam War where he was wounded three times while serving with the 3rd Marine Reconnaissance Battalion, one of the most highly decorated units in U.S. Marine Corps history.

Morrissey is more than just a survivor, he also remembers, particularly all those who sacrificed in that war and other American conflicts but who, outside of their family and close friends, seem forgotten.

"I want to have a natural, living monument dedicated to all the prisoners of war (POW) and all of those American soldiers missing in action (MIA) in every American conflict from the Revolutionary War through Kosovo and in future conflicts," Morrissey said. "That's why I climbed that mountain," he said gesturing toward the Chugach Mountains across the Palmer Hay Flats.

In his 50s, Morrissey climbed the unnamed mountain last week that is the backdrop for Mirror Lake, just to the right of, and a little lower than Twin Peaks. Once on top, he placed a POW/MIA flag at the summit, which had two tiny American flags duck-taped to it.

The American flags were given to Morrissey by Wasilla resident Leo Kaye who, along with others, help initiate the Veterans' Wall of Honor at the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors' Bureau on the Parks Highway.

Morrissey, from Patterson, N.Y., wants to name the mountain "Mt. POW/MIA" to honor and commemorate all American veterans, up to the present and in the future, who were captured prisoners of war or who were declared missing in action and never found.

The mountain behind Mirror Lake is not the first mountain Morrisey has climbed in his effort to memorialize POW/MIAs.

"In the past 20 years I've climbed mountains in other states trying to get one named 'Mt. POW/MIA', to honor these veterans, but bureaucratic delays and red tape have kept it from happening so far. It is easier to climb the mountains than to go through all the paperwork of getting a mountain named," Morrissey said.

When he talks, words come out of the lean, white haired veteran in short, staccato bursts, much like a burst of fire from an M-16 rifle. Unlike the rifle, each burst from Morrissey is punctuated at the end with the words "Okay? Okay." before going on to the next burst.

Despite climbing numerous mountains and having the support of some 300,000 Americans either as individuals or as part of various veterans' groups across the country Morrissey has yet to get a mountain named for the POW/MIAs.

"There's just too much red tape," he said. "But I won't give up on this because I know it's the right thing to do."

He tried climbing another unnamed Alaskan mountain three years ago, near Bettles in the Brooks Range, but it was on federal land and the National Board of Geographic Names has balked at Morrissey's requests to have it named.

Then he came to the Mat-Su Valley and saw, from a Memorial Day service at the Veterans' Wall of Honor, the flat-topped mountain just to the right of twin peaks.

"It's perfect," Morrissey said. "It's right along a highway where Alaskans and visitors can clearly see it, it provides the backdrop to the Wall of Honor in Wasilla and, according to the Alaska Board of Geographic Names, it has not yet been named."

Morrissey has spoken with Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, Knowles' aide Tom Moyer, and just about anyone he can grab about having the mountain names for POW/MIAs.

"They're interested, but the state Board of Geographic Names wants to see some local support for naming the mountain," Morrissey said.

To help get that support, Morrissey has enlisted the aide of local resident and activist for veterans Leo Kaye. Since Morrissey returned from the mountain, Kaye has sent dozens of letters to local, Mat-Su groups and organizations urging their support for naming the mountain.

"I think he's even getting a resolution of support from Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin," Morrissey said. "He's (Kaye) got more energy than any three people half his age."Photo:REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN: Vietnam veteran John J. Morrissey climbed the mountain behind Mirror Lake recently in an effort to convince the state Board of Geographic Names to name it "Mt. POW/MIA," to commemorate America's prisoners of war and those missing in action in every American conflict. Morrissey placed the POW/MIA flag, with two tiny American flags attached, on the mountain's summit.

Photo by JOHN J. MORRISSEY.