by Peter Twitchell
Elder Adam Kawagley of Akiak used to bring the subject up of “Wars and Rumors of Wars.” As we know a rumor is not always proven to be a fact or genuinely real.
Since the invention of the television and reporting of world events as they occur in real time, we’ve seen the gruesomeness and ugliness of wars and how devastating wars are. Wars destroy whole cities throughout the world as they occur.
Rumors never show us the tragedies of war. But we can imagine what wars can result in in the case one breaks out in modern day. Weapons used today can flatten cities in their wake!
I wished I had engaged Elder Kawagley in his experiences and thoughts. As an Elder spokesman he was a wise man, who warranted listening to.
He was proud of the fact he prepared meals during World War II for General Eisenhower as a Military Chef. I know, from stories told by my Dad, who was raised in the village of Akiak and served in the 3rd Army in Europe.
Mr. Kawagley was a successful gardener in the village of Akiak, Alaska. Dad was a friend and kin to all in the Akiak community.
Many men have served in the Armed Services of the United States, throughout the Yukon and Kuskokwim Region, and throughout all of our 49th State of Alaska. We should all be proud of the fact we all know someone who served and sacrificed their lives during wartime in the last hundred years.
Our family members, brothers and sisters, have served their country proudly, and our past and present Elders. Thank Mr. Adam Kawagley for opening my mind to further thought and factual history.
