Gallup Sun

Memorial Day weekend festival draws local support

The Window Rock National Monument, in Window Rock, Ariz., was the iconic place for the first ever, “Rock the Capital Music Festival” May 27.

Almost every genre of music was present, from Blues, to Hip-Hop, to Heavy Metal, all performed by talented, local musicians entertaining eager concert goers.

Muddy Soul’z; Rippy and the Sillyettes; Country Alibi; Irv Wauneka; Phx Amongst the Dead; Decapition of a New Day; Now or Never;  Weedrat; The Flossies; Rei Gurren; Under Exile; Unsheate; Born of Winter; Ye’iitsho; I Dont Konform; and Ethnic Degeneration made the list of bands and soloists that rocked the outdoor arena.

The...

The Memorial Day crowd at the Court House plaza started filling the chairs about 9 am last Monday, an hour or so before the ceremonies at Hill Crest Cemetery came to a close: a Catholic Mass on the east side and a wreath-laying in the small, fenced Veteran’s section at the top of the hill to the west. The parade began about 11 am, drawing more spectators to the sidewalks to watch veterans, Boy Scouts, CAP Cadets, Parade honorees, and City officials march or ride by during the eight-block route down Aztec Avenue.

The day was warm with plenty of sunshine, but the heat did not keep the local citizens away from this summer-starting event. The attendance may have been...

Corporal Van Etsitty had a dangerous job for the short time he spent in the Army. Drafted in 1967, he had less than a year’s training in infantry tactics before being sent to Vietnam, where he was assigned to a Recondo Team under the leadership of Staff Sergeant Ed Ryan, the squad leader.

After four-five months of being inserted by helicopter into jungle areas for reconnaissance and to actively disrupt the enemy, the team landed in the middle of an NVA encampment. Enemy fire raked the helicopter before it could set down, and one of the first bullets claimed Etsitty, the radio operator.

Ryan, now a Doctor of Forensic Psychology, praised Etsitty for his toughness and ability to...

Folks around greater McKinley County observed Memorial Day in a variety of ways. For some May 29 was a day for reunions, including a family gathered at Ford Canyon Park in Gallup.

A lot more families, friends and couples made their way downtown to get a glimpse of the 11th annual Memorial Day Celebration put on by the Gallup-McKinley County Veterans Committee. The event is a Gallup mainstay that draws locals and tourists alike.

“I thought it was a very wonderful day,” Gallup City Councilor Fran Palochak said. Palochak, a Gallup native and a U.S. Navy veteran, served as the grand marshal in the parade. “It was an honor to participate in the festivities, and I was honored to...