Unfortunately, while such solemn verses might be studied in a literature class, they’ve been excluded from most high school history curricula.Īs are the civilian casualties of war. “The neck of the cavalry-man with the bullet through and through I examine Hard the breathing rattles, quite glazed already the eye, yet life struggles hard (Come sweet death! be persuaded O beautiful death! In mercy come quickly.)” Like the one remembered by Walt Whitman in his poem The Wound Dresser: Many soldiers experienced intense suffering in their last minutes and hours. Referring to them as “living memorials,” their goal is to pass on the soldiers’ acts of heroism and sacrifice to future generations of Americans.īut battlegrounds and cemeteries contain much more than stories of valor and courage. The American Battlefield Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving those and other battlegrounds. Among them are historic Civil War battlegrounds such as Gettysburg and Antietam. That’s when Congress authorized the purchase of land for final resting place of soldiers killed in the line of duty. Protecting the cemetery at Funter Bay will help accomplish that.Ĭemeteries have been given a prominent place in our nation’s history since 1862. It means bringing the darkest chapters into the light. What he’s referring to, of course, is the idea that we study history to avoid the mistakes of the past. “The value of protecting the social and historical significance of this land will cement the history for good,” he told lawmakers last May, “and we will never have to repeat this history again.” Martin Stepetin is the grandson of four who survived and returned to St. Tragically, the Unangax at Funter Bay had no such protection. “The 700 German prisoners all returned home after the war without a single one dying during their imprisonment.” Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, wrote in her statement sponsoring HB 122. “The Nazis, sworn enemies of the United States and allies, were treated far better than the Unangax because their conditions were guaranteed by international law,” Rep. And for the duration of the war, they endured living conditions worse than enemy officers imprisoned at Excursion Inlet just 30 miles away. They were forcibly removed and taken to Funter Bay. government deemed it necessary to protect 480 Pribilof Islands residents from a possible Japanese invasion. If House Bill 122 is passed by the Senate and signed into law, 32 Unangax gravesites will be placed within the boundaries of Funter Bay Marine State Park. There’s one on Admiralty Island that may finally get the protection it deserves. Most of us learn at an early age that cemeteries are the sacred places.
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