There's a really good chance that you or someone you know has served in our nation's military. Each generation has its wars, and while many of our countrymen (and women) serve in them, they don't always come home. Such was the case with Joey Tremblay, who lost his life while serving with the United States Marines in Iraq.
He enjoyed a very close relationship with his father, Larry, and the two of them loved custom bikes and watching builders create rolling artwork on television. The time they spent together was the inspiration for Larry's memorial to Joey and the other Marines who've died in military service-the custom bike you see pictured here. Larry met Rich Mauro of RPM Customs in Newburgh, New York, and the two of them put a lot of work into making this bike come together. Larry was so satisfied with RPM that he bought into the business.
But rather than focusing on the bike, we'd like to tell you about the man who inspired it. Joey was a typical kid; he picked up some things quickly, while others took more time, but he always worked on his obstacles until he overcame them. All three of Larry's children were very different, and Joey was the funny one with the different sense of humor. Larry's first memory of his son making him laugh came about when Joey was a toddler, and Cadbury made a commercial about an Easter bunny that sounded like a chicken. After that, all Easter bunnies clucked like a chicken, according to Joey.
A few years later, Joey took to playing team sports, like many children his age. Mostly he played baseball and football; some of the coaches were Marines from the base in nearby Stewart. Larry coached as well and was extremely proud of the fact that his son was such a team player. He wasn't as interested in the awards and trophies as he was in helping the team play as best it could. It was a trait that would stay with him throughout his life.