‘Moment of Remembrance’ ceremony Sunday at Veterans Wall of Honor

WASILLA — The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association is sponsoring a “Moment of Remembrance” at the Veterans Wall of Honor at 9:11 a.m., Sept. 11.

The first-time event will include a “Roll Call of Honor,” at which time all of the names of fallen soldiers stationed in Alaska will be read, followed by prayer and “Taps.”

The memorial service is one of several organized by the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association throughout the year, according to Commander Chris Creech.

“It’s who we are. We’re combat veterans and we ride motorcycles,” he said.

Creech, who is also known as Scout, said the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association of Alaska has existed for about a year, although the national organization is older. The group started with three members and has grown to include 78 members from North Pole to Kenai and Ketchikan.

Members include veterans from Vietnam up to current operations, Creech said.

In addition to organizing the Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Wall of Honor he said the group also maintains the Wall of Honor year-round.

And he said they are working on a project called “Operation Gremlin Bells” that aims to put the bells on all the vehicles in the 1-25 Stryker Brigade out of Fort Wainwright, who are currently deployed, and the 4-25 out of Airborne Brigade at Fort Richardson.

He said the bells are a sort of good luck charm to help ward off evil road spirits that cause problems while you are riding.

The House of Harley donated 50 bells to kick off the effort, and Creech said the group seeks more bells and monetary donations to buy bells for troops.

And they are in the planning stages of Operation Appreciation, which would provide a steak dinner for the 4-25 and their families before they deploy, he said.

Creech is an active duty 1st Sgt. for the Eagle Troop 1-40 Cavalry Airborne from Fort Richardson.

Mark Schwulst, also known as Preacher, said some groups plan to participate in the 49th State Street Rodders’ Freedom Flag Run from the Wasilla Park-N-Ride across from Sears to North Star Speedway, which is set to leave from the Old Carrs parking lot in Palmer at 10 a.m., and regroup in Wasilla before caravanning to the speedway.

Mike Jarrett, also known as Too Cold, said nicknames come with the territory. “If you don’t have a nickname they’ll give you one,” he said.

But the brotherhood is about more than nicknames and motorcycles.

“We’re really about vets helping vets,” Jarrett said. “Anything we can find that benefits vets.”

The group also helps raise money for Fisher House, which is like the Ronald McDonald House, but specifically for military families, he said.

Richard Cormier is Commander Sergeant Major of the First Squadron 40th Cavalry.

He’s Creech’s boss. But here he’s one of the guys, said Cormier, who also is known as Mister Clean.

Everywhere he travels, Cormier said he looks for places to volunteer.

“I don’t care what state I go to I’ll always find that brotherhood,” he said. “CVMA means that brotherhood is automatically there.”

Among this group of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Shelley Waite’s bike stands out. It’s the powder pink one, “Buffy” said.

She said her nickname stared as a joke with her husband who likes to brag about having a wife who can dip-net fish and ride a Harley. The two spent last winter putting a bigger engine in the bike and adding its distinctive paint job.

“I want people to know it’s my bike,” Waite said. “I’m not borrowing my husband’s bike.”

Contact Heather A. Resz at heather.resz@frontiersman.com or 352-2268.