By John Tredrea, Special Writer
With former Lawrence Township Police Chief Nicholas Loveless ready to serve as grand marshal, the township’s Memorial Day parade is set to go, with step-off at Lawrence High School scheduled for 10 a.m. May 23. Mr. Loveless is a World War II and Korean War veteran.
“We are thrilled to welcome back Major Stephen LaPoint (Retired, United States Air Force) as our Master of Ceremonies, and it is our honor to present Nicholas Loveless as this years Grand Marshal,“ said Christine Lee, the superintendent of the township’s Department of Recreation.
From the high school, the parade will proceed to Darrah Lane, to Birchwood Knoll and then Berwyn Place, ending at Veteran’s Park.
“We are asking for all veterans in the area to come forward and be recognized,“ Ms. Leer said. “2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the ending of World War II and the fortieth anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam War. Transportation will be provided to any veteran that comes forward and is willing and able to participate. The ceremony will take place at Veteran’s Park at about 11:30 a.m. Refreshments will be served.“
Marching in the parade will be members of American Legion Post 414, Veterans of Foreign Wars 3022 and the 112th Field Artillery Association. A Marine Corps and Air Force Color Guard will march, along with local police, firefighters and members of local sports organizations, churches, non-profit organizations and boy scout and girl scout troops.
Master of Ceremonies Stephen LaPoint retired from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) at the rank of Major after more than 22 years of active service. He was a copilot, aircraft commander, instructor and evaluator pilot, amassing over 9000 flying hours in the USAF and USAF Reserves. He served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Restore Hope in Somalia, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is currently a first officer with American Airlines, flying the Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft out of JFK International Airport.
Grand Marshall Nicholas Loveless was born in 1925 on a farm in Lawrence. The farm is now part of Central Park on Eggerts Crossing Road. He graduated from Lawrenceville Elementary School and Princeton High School. He entered the U.S. Army in July 1943, trained as an aerial gunner and was assigned to a B-25 crew as a tail-gunner. He and his crew flew a new B-25 to Brazil’s Ascension Island, to Tunisia, North Africa and totaled over 10,000 miles.
Cross-trained as an aerial photographer in addition to tail-gunner, he participated in 60 combat missions over France, Austria, Italy and the Balkans. Many of his photographs have since appeared in aviation magazines, and one was used as a model for a painting on a Limited Edition Franklin Mint Heirloom Plate.In the Spring of 1947, he drove a war surplus Army vehicle across the U.S. to the Alaska Highway in Fairbanks, Alaska, a total of 5,000 miles.
In 1950 when the Korean War broke out, he volunteered for active duty with the Air Force, trained as a B-20 aerial gunner and flew 38 combat missions over North Korea.
On April 12, 1951, he flew as a tail-gunner with the 307th Bomb Wing Commander, leading the mission to the Yalu River, in the first major air battle of the Korean War.
In 1953, he joined the Lawrence Township Police Department, rose through ranks to become Chief of Police and retired in 1990.
