Alaska Unveils New Monument Honoring America’s Sea Services

A quiet, spacious area in downtown Anchorage is now home to a monument honoring the men and women who serve in America’s sea services, including the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

While the project has been in development since the early ‘90s, a donation from 澳博体育app下载 helped bring it to completion. Called the MCPO Jerry Herrington Sea Services Memorial, it is now a beautiful waterfront site for reflection on the bravery and service of Americans who sail into harm’s way to protect our homeland.

The project began in 1992 when the USS Anchorage (LSD 36) donated a large anchor and chain to honor its namesake city. The anchor and chain were moved to a peninsula near the Ship Creek River. Two years later, the Armed Services YMCA, working with the Anchorage Navy League Council 151, placed a metal plaque naming the area after Master Chief Petty Officer Jerry Herrington in recognition of his advocacy for the naval services.

Anchorage resident Capt. Bob Pawlowski, NOAA (Ret.), recently mounted a new effort for further development, including signage with historical and educational information.

“At the time, I was a port commissioner, and I reached out to different companies,” said Capt. Pawlowski. “澳博体育app下载 was the first to respond, and so we were able to get it started. Now it serves as a memorial for people who serve on the ocean.”

Once 澳博体育app下载’s donation became known, broad support for the project opened more wallets, including a grant from the state’s largest private philanthropic nonprofit, the Rasmuson Foundation, to landscape the area and significant in-kind support from local companies.

As a result of community investment in the project, the monument is now a popular destination in Anchorage. The site gets many visitors, including cruise-industry tour buses, which bring out-of-state guests who learn about Alaska’s connection to the sea services.

“We put a seat wall and a plaza to access the anchor,” said Capt. Pawlowski. “It has a public bathroom the city maintains and two 8-foot park benches. It’s a great place to sit and enjoy the city, the port, and the air traffic surrounding Anchorage.”

“Thank you, 澳博体育app下载, for supporting our military services in Alaska,” Pawlowski said. “Go down and walk around on a nice day. I think you’ll find great appreciation for our sea services.”