Girdwood remembers Senator Ted Stevens
Memorial Service held at the top of Mt. Alyeska
Ken Smith/Turnagain Times
Catherine Stevens, wife of the late Sen. Ted Stevens, receives the state flag from the Alaska National Guard Honor Guard at the Girdwood Memorial Sunday, Aug. 29. The ceremony was held in the Glacier Express restaurant at the top of Mt. Alyeska at Alyeska Resort. Over 300 people paid their respects and remembered Stevens, a Girdwood resident and friend.
By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
Sunday, Aug. 29, was a day to remember Senator Ted Stevens in Girdwood.
“My future is in God’s hands.
The future of Alaska, however,
is in your hands.”
– Senator Ted Stevens
A few hundred people took the tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska where they paid tribute to Senator Stevens during a memorial held in the Glacier Express restaurant.
A light fog lifted around the mountains as the memorial began at 4 p.m.
Senator Stevens’ family was in attendance, and the restaurant was filled to capacity with a standing room only crowd listening quietly and solemnly to the guest speakers.
Photos of Senator Stevens lined the walls of the room from his childhood to his later years.
Chris vonImhof was the Master of Ceremonies and shared local stories and memories of Stevens.
Patty Hamre then recognized the Stevens’ family, singing “Fireweed and Dogwood” followed by the “Alaska Flag Song” accompanied by Win Faulkner and Sami Graham.
The venerable Norman Elliot then spoke. The 90-year-old Elliot was a friend of Stevens, and like the Senator, was a World War II veteran having served in the Army Artillery.
Von Imhof followed Elliot, stating that an eternal flame is going to be put next to the Roundhouse Museum in honor of Stevens. He also said that a chairlift at Alyeska Resort will be named after him.
When von Imhof finished, two Alaska National Guard Honor Guard entered the room and walked down an aisle and stopped in front of the podium.
The Alaska flag was handed to them and they proceeded with the flag folding ceremony, slowly and methodically unfolding it and then snapping the flag apart, holding it firmly for all to see and honor. The flag was then folded back into a triangle and tucked in with a lone yellow star showing on top of a blue field.
The Alaska National Guard Honor Guard Bugler followed with Taps. The honor guardsman then presented the flag to Catherine Stevens, wife of the late Senator.
The two honor guards then exited the building to an adjoining courtyard where a firing party of three Alaska Guard Honor Guards shot three volleys—a final salute to Senator Stevens.
