As Memorial Day approaches, the latest episode of Scottsdale’s new video/podcast series, Veterans AZ, is dedicated to those service members who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Veterans AZ is a series produced by the city of Scottsdale that shares stories of Arizona veterans and focuses attention on the many organizations and programs that serve veterans locally. The series’ second episode, Remembering the Fallen, can be found online at veteransaz.org.

The episode features an interview with Maj. Jim Geiser, USMC (Ret.), a longtime Scottsdale resident and Vietnam veteran who has dedicated his post service life to honoring the fallen — fellow veterans who died in military service to the nation. Learn about his involvement creating the Arizona State University Veterans Memorial Wall, and about his latest project — the Scottsdale Memorial For the Fallen.

Did you know a large relic from the USS Arizona (BB-39) is now the centerpiece of a new tribute to the state’s namesake ship right here in the Valley?

In this episode you also will learn how a conversation about a flag more than a decade ago led to a piece of the USS Arizona being delivered to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, who built a new memorial built around it.

You will also meet Jan Scruggs, a man who channeled his traumatic experience in Vietnam to create one of the most meaningful and impactful memorials in the world — the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

And, you will see a virtual tour of several other veterans memorials in the Valley: The Thunderbird II Veterans Memorial in Scottsdale, the Peoria Veterans Memorial, the Surprise Veterans Reflection Circle, and the Avondale Veterans Memorial Walkway.