National effort acts to remember their sacrifices
By Mary Ellen Day, Special Writer
Resident Mark Nipps took a long ride on his motorcycle last week not for a joy ride per say but joy for a very good cause.
He and other members of the Manville-Hillsborough Elks Motorcycle Club participated in the Wreath Across America event, which drew 15,000-20,000 people to lay about 210,000 wreaths on the graves of veterans at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 13.
Mr. Nipps has been doing this for a few years.
"Back in 2009 I came across on the Internet that the wreaths bound for Arlington were passing through New Jersey on their way to D.C. and I thought that it would be a pretty cool thing to participate in," he said.
He met the convoy in Secaucus and rode with them to Langhorne Pa.when I got to Langhorne I made a stop at the hotel and talked to a couple of guys and they told me that I needed to go to Arlington next year.
"In 2010 I caught the convoy in New Jersey once again and accompanied it all the way to D.C. After experiencing that trip, the fire was lit and that has led to my involvement," he said.
Mr. Nipps went from New Jersey to Washington in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and from Maine to D.C. in 2013 and again this year.
The mission of Wreaths Across America is to "Remember, Honor, Teach," according to the Internet site. In addition to coordinating wreath-laying at Arlington and veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states.
It also organizes a week of events. including international veterans’ tributes, ceremonies at statehouses and a weeklong "Veterans Parade" between Maine and Virginia, stopping along the way to spread the message of the importance of remembering fallen heroes, those who serve, and teaching about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.
"The week is unbelievable," he said. "I have been honored to meet a Pearl Harbor survivor, the oldest living World War II veteran from Rhode Island who just turned 104 and George Patton’s daughter-in-law. I witnessed an outpouring of American patriotism, listened to emotional speeches and talked with Gold Star wives, mothers and 26 fathers."
Mr. Nipps said his experience with WAA is that they are so lucky that so many men and women have stepped up to fight for our freedom and for that, every American should do their best to show their gratitude.
The weather had been a little challenging, especially traveling by motorcycle. Freezing rain made the roads a little challenging; they rode through a high of 11 degrees and a winter storm. Police escorted them from Harrington, Maine, to Washington, D.C., but there weren’t any really difficult parts to travel, he said.
They were usually on the road by 8 a.m. and sometimes did not get done until around 9 at night. Mr. Nipps paid for accommodations himself, but the food was usually taken care of by schools, fire departments, Elks clubs, American Legions and towns.
"I leave Manville by myself, but I meet up with a group of guys that I have befriended on this trip over the past couple of years," he said. "This year there are seven of us doing the whole trip from Harrington to Arlington. In addition a few local riders from Lodge 2119 will be heading down on Friday to participate on Saturday," said Mr. Nipps.
With stops at the Statue of Liberty, Vietnam Memorial, Valley Forge Military Academy, and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, it takes a week to get to D.C.
"Last year I also had the privilege of sitting at the same table as the governor of Maine and his wife, Paul and Ann LePage, at the big, final dinner on Friday night," Mr. Nipps said. "However, nothing compares with the honor that I had two previous times when I got to ride in on my motorcycle two Gold Star mothers, Carol Resh from Reading, Pa., and Dolly Sullivan from Boston. This year, I have also been asked to escort Sherry McGee, whose son is laid to rest in Arlington."
Scott Mikaelian, a fellow Elk and Motorcycle Club member, was one of the seven who joined Mr. Nipps from New Jersey. Mr. Mikaelian said he went along "to remember and honor our veterans and teach my children why that is important. Mark Nipps has been doing this for seven or eight years and shared his experiences. It was something I wanted to do at least once, and now, after my second year, I don’t plan to ever miss it. This year, my wife and kids drove down, too."
When they arrived on Friday night he attended a dinner at the Mooseand then rode in the convoy into the cemetery.
"It is always a very moving experience. I have met some of the best and most inspiring people on earth," said Mr. Mikaelian.
The weather for him really didn’t matter with a task as important as this but the hardest part of the run for him was trying to empathize with the Gold Star families and friends, he said.
Mr. Mikaelian got to Washington he said he would "Remember. Honor. Teach. This year, after Mark Nipps has done it for so many years, and Mark and I did it last year, our Motorcycle Club (Manville-Hillsborough Elks 2119 Motorcycle Club) wanted to share in the experience. We had a total of nine bikes from our MC riding in the convoy into Arlington. If you haven’t experienced it, you need to. Don’t say I should have. Say I did."
Firsttimer Ed Leib went along "to honor and remember our vets."
He said Mr. Nipps told him about his experiences.
"I wanted to do this," Mr. Leib said. "I have never been down to Arlington National Cemetery. Eight of us went down to College Park, Maryland, on Friday and Saturday we went to Arlington. It was amazing. I cannot put into words the emotion I felt riding into the cemetery with the streets lined with people clapping. Having servicemen and women saluting as we rode in with the convoy. Have them thanking us, when it is us who should be thanking them. I’m glad I did it."
Mr. Nipps reflected on his week.
"This has probably been the most emotional trip to date this year. Edith Knowles who is from Brielle, is the grand marshal this year and she speaks about the memory of her brother, Bud Thorne, who was killed in World War II at the Battle of the Bulge when he was 28 years old. She has his final letter that he wrote home and it talks about Christmas and how much he wanted to be home for Christmas, but sadly he was killed on Dec. 21. To say that there was not a dry eye would be an understatement."