'Saluting Marine' visits fellow veterans at dinner in Lavelle

Nov. 5—LAVELLE — Veterans were honored for their service Friday at a dinner that featured a special guest.

Tim Chambers, "The Saluting Marine," attended the dinner at the Church of the Nazarene. The Lebanon man served from 1994 to 2019.

He is known as The Saluting Marine for saluting during Rolling Thunder, the motorcycle ride around Memorial Day that raises awareness about MIA/POWs and culminates with events in the nation's capital.

"It's very humbling that he called me and wanted me to be here," Chambers said of Joe Torquato, an Air Force veteran who met Chambers years ago at an event in Lancaster.

Torquato contacted Chambers, who agreed to attend the dinner in Lavelle. Torquato, of Lavelle, used the words "honor and respect" to describe having Chambers at the event.

"I jumped on the opportunity to come here to also embrace other veterans and thank them for their service," Chambers said.

Bixler Pyrotechnics, Ashland, sponsored the Veterans Appreciation Dinner. Owner Mike Bixler said it was a small gesture he could do for those who gave so much.

"I didn't serve, so this is my way of giving back to those who did," Bixler said.

Those attending had smoked chicken, filling, corn, gravy, coleslaw and homemade deserts. About 150 people normally attend, Bixler said. As of around 5 p.m., about 70 had been served. The event ran from 4 to 7 p.m.

Chambers talked to the crowd about why he does what he does, something that started in 2002 when he jumped off the curb near the Lincoln Monument in Washington during Rolling Thunder and "popped up a salute."

"The bikes are rolling around me, and one hour bled into the next," he said. "But I started to see tears rolling down their faces, like I was connecting with them, so that's what kept me going."

He told the veterans that when he salutes, he is representing all of them.

"All of your service, not letting America forget about the service," Chambers said.

Joe Boylan, 83, of Ashland, an Air Force and Army veteran, as well as a Purple Heart recipient, came to the dinner.

He expressed his appreciation for the gratitude shown by others to the veterans.

Army veteran Ralph Starr, 90, of Valley View, appreciated what Chambers had said.

"I just wish some of my buddies could be here and just not me," he said of friends lost in the Korean War.

He was thankful for the meal and the gratitude shown for his devotion to the country.

"I just appreciate that they appreciate what I've done, and I hope they never have to go through the things that I've gone through," Starr said.

In an interview before he spoke to his fellow veterans, Chambers talked about his longest salute, which was six hours, in May 2004 when the World War II Monument was dedicated in Washington.

Chambers said that at times it's difficult to salute that long, but he thinks of the sacrifices others made.

He also described in the interview what it was like near the the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, when the sprawling building was attacked by terrorists using an airliner as a weapon.

"I just walked out of the building up the hill to have a meeting and the plane flew by our window," Chambers said. "The ground shook and we heard the explosion ... then we went down the hill and helped triage.

"Firefighters were there to help to contain the fire, so it would be safe to go into the building to do the recovery."

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023