Honoring the Fallen and Hiking Gold Star Peak
Join The 98 Fund president Mark "Rock" DeRocchi and volunteer Mike McCauley on the Alaska Public Media's Outdoor Explorer podcast hosted by Amy Bushatz as they talk about Memorial Day, Alaska, and Gold Star Peak.
Balancing the traditional start of summer with our solemn promise to never forget those we have lost, Memorial Day allows us to take the time to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, to say their name to help ensure they never die that "second death", and vow to be better people so our nation is worthy of the sacrifice.
Rock and Mike discuss their personal stories, how service to others is so important, how The Alaska Project retreat property helps honor the Fallen while supporting surviving families.
They then discuss how climbing Gold Star Peak and connecting with the amazingly powerful memorial (envisioned and created by Kirk Alkire and Gold Star Peak, Inc.) helps honor the Fallen while also providing a personal challenge and "crucible" event where the hard work and effort to reach the summit adds the awe-inspiring and emotional impact of reaching the top.
For those that have (and will) make this climb with us, we are thankful for the partnership with Remedy Alpine and the local JBER EOD teams who support our climbs all summer.
From Alaksa Public Media:
“Memorial Day may be the traditional first day of summer, but veterans, their families and the loved ones left behind know it’s also about something much bigger—remembering those who lost their lives in service to the nation.
While some mark the day with ceremony, many others honor the lost by taking to mountains and trails. That includes the challenging journey up Gold Star Peak, where a moving memorial site is perched on the rocky top.
Gold Star Peak sits on a slightly angled ridgeline in the Chugach Range, adjacent to Mount POW MIA, west of Pioneer Peak and the Twin Peaks and easily spotted from Mat-Su. It’s a tough climb tackled each year by hundreds of military-connected Alaskans and visitors. Explore why doing something hard outside helps us mark military loss and find out how you can participate.”
