Palin's Memorial Day activities

From the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer:

Palin in Fairbanks for Memorial Day ceremonies, bill signings
By Rena Delbridge
Published Monday, May 25, 2009

FAIRBANKS -- Gov. Sarah Palin marked Memorial Day with a trio of bill signing events in Interior Alaska, issuing a call to Alaskans to remember those who’ve died in combat as well as those still serving in the U.S. military.

Among them is her son Track, who is halfway through a deployment in Irag with the Stryker Brigade’s 1-25th, based at Fort Wainwright.

She heard from Track about a week ago, a brief call to check in as he headed off on a mission where the soldier would be out of touch.

“It really hits me when I’m up here in Fairbanks,” Palin said, noting she met a few of her son’s “bosses” at a Memorial Day event in downtown Fairbanks. They gave her a good report on Track, she said.

“Nothing could make me prouder to hear my son is a good soldier,” Palin said.

Track signed on with the Army on Sept. 11, 2007, at age 18. He deployed to Iraq in September 2008.

At a morning event commemorating Memorial Day in Fairbanks, Palin signed legislation dedicating state funds to development of a veterans' cemetery in the Interior. Scores of veterans attended, hearing remarks from the governor, representatives of Alaska's congressional delegation and veteran spokesmen.

At noon in nearby North Pole, she received a U.S. and an Alaskan flag that flew above forts in Iraq, sent by soldier Adam Schumaker. The governor signed off on six more bills at city hall, including Sen. Joe Paskvan's measure to create an electronic medical health records database. The endeavor is funded in part by the federal stimulus package.

Back in Fairbanks, Palin appeared at Compeau's, a business that sells all-terrain vehicles, boats and snowmachines, to sign off on a bill creating a lemon law for ATV and marine craft purchases. She and husband Todd Palin hopped in a red river boat for a quick blast up the Chena River, with Craig Compeau turning over the wheel to the governor as a flotilla of primary-colored kayaks glided past.