Mat-Su residents and officials honor veterans at Wasilla memorial wall on Veterans Day

Residents and local and state officials gathered at 11:11 am Wednesday at the Mat-Su Veterans Wall Memorial in Wasilla to honor veterans and the surviving families of service members, the Mat-Su Borough said in a post.

Wasilla Mayor Alina Rubeo spoke at the ceremony. "Your service is part of our nation's history and our community's strength," she said, according to a City of Wasilla post. Rubeo proclaimed Nov. 11 Veterans Day in Wasilla at the City Council's Nov. 9 meeting.

The city said its Public Works Department prepared the site and its Recreational Services team provided the sound equipment. Sunbelt Rentals and Alaska Industrial Hardware donated heaters and materials to help keep people warm during the ceremony, the city said.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proclamation named the day Veterans and Remembrance Day in Alaska. It honors soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guard members, National Guard members and reservists, along with the families who stood alongside them. It calls on Alaskans to take part in ceremonies and encourages employers "to provide job opportunities for those who served."

The governor also marked Women Veterans Day on Monday, honoring the more than 10,000 women veterans who live in Alaska.

Nov. 11 marks the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Congress made it a federal holiday in 1938 and renamed it Veterans Day, honoring veterans of all wars, in 1954.

The wall has hosted ceremonies before. Hundreds gathered there for Memorial Day in 2021, according to a borough publication.