A Vietnam War and Cold War veteran, he completed a nearly 36-year military career in the Air Force, Alaska National Guard, and Minnesota Air National Guard. Subsequently, he served a 39-month civilian assignment as a senior mentor for public affairs and parliamentary affairs with the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior, in Kabul.
Michael's extensive community service includes: four-time chair of Alaska's Stand Down (for Veterans); more than 20-years as executive of Operation Santa Claus; nearly two-dozen years of volunteer service with Salvation Army boards; involvement with the Memorial Day Salute at Byers Lake State Veterans Memorial for some 20 years; and numerous other activities supporting veterans outreach and recognitions across the State of Alaska.
As an historian, he's organized or otherwise taken part in ten expeditions to Attu Island and the Aleutians, including recoveries of World War II warbirds, and tracked down his share of history's military mysteries. As a photojournalist, he's written numerous features and articles for military and history publications, and contributed to nationally broadcast documentaries.
He, and his wife Kim (who also wore combat boots), are parents of five-adult children and grandparents to a dozen grandchildren.
Col Ross is an attorney in private practice in Anchorage. He serves as Area Defense Counsel for the Alaska State Defense Force. He is a director (and former First Vice President), National Rifle Association of America, and Chairman of the NRA Gun Collectors Committee. He served on the Board of Directors of the National Firearms Museum Fund, is a Founding Member of the Alaska Gun Collectors Association, and is a member of numerous other gun collector associations.
He was awarded the Commander's Cross, Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland) and is also a knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, (Vatican).
Col Ross taught criminal law courses at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and was a columnist for the Anchorage Times and later for the Anchorage Chronicle.
He was appointed Attorney General of the State of Alaska by Governor Sarah Palin and served for a short time in that capacity before resuming the private practice of law.
TSgt George Darrow, USAF, Ret.
George R. Darrow is an Army brat who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and retired in 1978. During his time in the Air Force he volunteered for two tours of duty in Vietnam, spending 22 months "in country". After retiring from the Air Force he went to college at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a minor in music. Upon graduation from UAA he went to work interviewing veterans for their eligibility for medical benefits at the Veterans Administration. He spent 20 years at the VA and retired from there in June, 2005.
Having flown over 23,000 hours, Col Cross has covered SE Asia, Canada, the Lower 48 and most of Alaska in military and civilian airplanes and helicopters.
He has been awarded with a Legion of Merit award, MSM, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal with "V Device and 29 OLC. As a civilian, he served not only as a Pilot, but safety Officer, Chief Pilot, Director of Operations, and VP of Operations in Alaska Aviation Companies. He was the Mayor of the City of Kotzebue. He has served on many boards, such as; Alaska Air Carriers Association, Medallion Foundation, NANA Regional Search and Rescue, Anchorage Native Assembly of God Church, New Destiny Church, as well as the Alaska Veterans Museum. He has owned seven aircraft and still has a Cessna 195.
Kaleigh Wotring has been working with the Alaska Veterans Museum for years. Without a long list of accolades, she still manages to do OK maintaining the AVM website, producing ads for newspaper and magazines, and rallying the media to come to events; she also advises the board on technical issues and ways to keep the museum current, climbs around in display cases when necessary, vacuums floors, scrubs toilets, and says "Yes, ma'am." She received the Volunteer of the Year in 2014, as well as 2016 and received the "Got 'er Done" award in 2015.
Outside of the museum, she does her very best to be as supportive to her husband as he is to her, and to raise their two children to have respect for their elders, a full understanding of their rights as Americans, and who fought for them to have those rights, and that the only way to keep those rights strong and healthy is to regularly exercise them.
As the member of the Steering Committee for the Eagle River Optional Program at Eagle River Elementary School and the President of the PTO at Gruening Middle School, she is constantly looking for ways for veterans to connect with students, and for students to connect with our veterans.
A 66-year resident of Alaska, Ted practiced civil engineering in the state for 44 years. Ted completed an undergraduate civil engineering (CE) degree at MIT and a Masters in CE from UAA. For 10 years Ted was the President of Tryck Nyman Hayes, Inc., a mid-sized engineering consulting firm based in Anchorage; previously he served as Manager of Engineering for the Alaska Railroad and as Borough Engineer for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Ted served as president of many of the professional engineering organizations in Anchorage, including ASCE, ASPE, SAME and APDC and received numerous honors, including Alaska Engineer of the Year, Executive of the Year and UAA Alumni of Distinction.
Ted is a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader and company commander and LRRP (Ranger) platoon leader and was awarded 15 military awards including 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Air Medals, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, an Army Commendation Medal, the Legion of Merit, and a Presidential Unit Citation (Kontum Province) as the CO of A Co. 1/8 INF 4th ID.
Col Suellyn Wright Novak, USAF Ret.
Col Suellyn Wright Novak lived her childhood dream spending a 32 + year career in the US Air Force. She had three careers: 1) Personnel Officer; 2) Biomedical Laboratory Officer running clinical laboratories, doing research and heading the worldwide US Air Force Blood Program; and 3) Squadron Commander for three different medical squadrons. She retired 1 Aug 2003 at Bolling AFB, DC, traveled a year in her motor home, and then returned to Eagle River, where she is busy with 20 volunteer jobs.