WHITTIER, Alaska (KTUU) - At the Princess Cruise Ship Terminal, the community of Whittier held its first-ever Memorial Day ceremony in recent memory..

WHITTIER, Alaska (KTUU) - At the Princess Cruise Ship Terminal, the community of Whittier held its first-ever Memorial Day ceremony in recent memory. Chugach Arts Council Director Maria Wagner said the event was inspired by the fact that Whittier’s history has been forgotten in recent years and needs to be passed on to future generations. “When I asked about Maynard Mountain, where that name came from, I discovered that six men died in a helicopter crash in 1964 after the earthquake,” Wagner said. The Army servicemembers perished in a helicopter crash on Portage Glacier while assisting victims of the Good Friday earthquake. One of the men who died ferrying relief supplies to Whitter during “Operation Helping Hand” was Lt. Robert J. Gilbert. Wagner said she reached out to the surviving families months ago so their loved ones could be remembered at the Memorial Day ceremony. “I found most of the families and it was just the Gilberts happened to be very receptive and able to come. The other families were very appreciative of the honor. But they couldn’t come. Most of them are out of state,” Wagner said. A poem was read in honor of the “Maynard Men” at the ceremony. Lt. Gilbert’s son Scott attended the Memorial Day ceremony and said he was just a year old when his father died. It was his first time visiting Alaska since his father’s death. “It blows me away. Just the fact that it was 60 years ago. You know, there’s probably not a lot of people walking around Whittier right now that know much of that story, and so people are gonna hear it. And that, that really just fills me up with with gratitude,” Scott Gilbert said. Other family members attended the ceremony, including Lieutenant Gilbert’s brother Lynn. “If it weren’t for the servicemen, we wouldn’t have a country, and there’s just no way we should not honor all the servicemen who have been in the service, are going to be in the service,” Lynn Gilbert said. Also at the ceremony were exhibits on display to honor the military service of Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders. Roger Lowe of the Alaska Western Dancers talked about the contributions of the Alaska Territorial Guard. “They did protect our coastlines, and they served for the entire time of World War II. And I believe my understanding is after WWII ended, they were let go and went back home, and that’s why they didn’t get the formal recognition like other people who have served in the military,” Lowe said. Wagner said that she would like to make the Memorial Day ceremony an annual event for Whittier. But she can’t say if it will, partly due to difficulties finding a venue willing to host..