Kirk Kressley will never forget the experience he shared with World War II veterans while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Kressley, who served in the Coast Guard for eight years starting in 1996, was the main speaker during the Memorial Day service held in Lansford’s Kennedy Park.

Over 100 people attended the program conducted by Lansford American Legion Post 123.

Kressley, of Lehighton, said, “I was assigned to several different posts. One of the most unforgettable was an isolated duty station in Alaska.”

He was flown to Attu Island, the last link in the Aleutian chain which is closer to Russia than to most of the U.S. mainland.

“Attu was more than just remote — it was sacred ground,” he said. “During World War II, it was the only American soil occupied by enemy forces. The Japanese held the island, and a fierce, brutal battle was fought to reclaim it.”

He said, “Bombs were still stacked like pyramids. Land mines and grenades littered the tundra. “There were whole areas we weren’t allowed to enter because they still weren’t safe.”

Kressley said one day, a commanding officer informed him that several World War II veterans who had fought on Attu were flying in and he was supposed to guide them.

“I’ll never forget watching those eight veterans — old men now — step off that same C-130,” he said. “Some were unsteady on their feet.”

He told those attending the service that “something extraordinary happened.”

“As we explored the island, they began to recognize landmarks. Places they hadn’t seen in almost 60 years came back to them like it was yesterday. And suddenly, they weren’t old men anymore. They were soldiers again — moving with purposed, with memory,” he said.

The World War II veterans told Kressley “Stories of hardship, survival and unimaginable courage. Some had fought without proper gear. Some had gone days without food.”

The most poignant memory for Kressley, though was “how they spoke of the men who didn’t make it home.”

Kressley said, “They said their names. They cried for them. And somehow, I could see that this return, this remembering helped heal something in them.”

“These men are gone now,” he said. “But I carry their stories. And I believe we all have a duty to carry the stories of those who sacrificed their futures for ours.”

Thes speaker said, “We owe the fallen everything. Our peace. Our freedoms, Our way of life. Let’s make sure they are never forgotten. Let’s speak their names. Let’s honor them not just today, but every day we walk free.”

Richard D. Pogwist, past commander of the Lansford Legion, served as master of ceremonies.

A roll call of deceased Lansford veterans for the past 12 months was read by Legion member Dave Padora.

Vocalist Angela Nardini sang the National Anthem and “God Bless America.”

Maiya Vavro, a student at St. Jerome Regional School, read General Logan’s Order. Fellow student Reagan LeClair read Flanders Field. Marian Catholic High School student Jack LeClair read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

The Panther Valley High School Band played patriotic selections including “This is My Country” and a medley of tunes.

Bugler Kyla McQuillen of Panther Valley High School played taps.

Memorial Day remarks were given by Nathan Krajcirik, commander of the Lansford American Legion Post.