By Mike Gasper

This article was written by Mike Gasper one of the organizers of the ride to remember the five Marines and two civilians who were killed returning from Laconia 2019 in a tragic motorcycle accident. The ride began at Broken Spoke in Laconia and ended at the crash site. A thank you to the Broken Spoke and to Boot Hill Saloon for the use of their properties. I was told that the rains came down hard and heavy and people opened their homes and provided towels to dry the riders and passengers. Americans can be good to heal our souls in times of grief. We don’t hear that enough. The following is Mike’s thoughts on that day. In honored memory of Michael Ferrazi, Albert Mazza, Jr., Desma Oakes, Aaron Perry, Daniel Pereira, Jo-Ann Corr and Edward Corr

The moment I realized the intensity of this event was when I was on a very long straight away and as I looked in my mirror there was no end to the line of bikes. Five thousand or so people all with the same purpose to honor and remember these 7 souls whose final ride ended so tragically.

The world came together that day. It was a reminder of times past when patriotism ran thick in our country. From the riders and their passengers, to the folks that lined the roads and waved their flags, to the families coming together to hand out water and feed the hungry, and to the children that sold lemonade to donate money to the families of the fallen. It was a great day to be an American.

The ride ended in a field next to the crash site where people gathered in the deepening mud to pay their respects. The greatest memory I have is the bugler in full uniform playing taps in the background as the sky cried down on us.