Milford company earns 2014 Rock of Ages Pinnacle Award
Nichole Dobo, The News Journal 12:02 p.m. EDT March 19, 2014
A Milford memorial business was named by Rock of Ages as winner of a 2014 Rock of Ages Pinnacle Award, according to a press release from the company.
Wm. V. Sipple & Son, 300 S. Rehoboth Boulevard, was named for the fifth consecutive year, according to a press release from Wm. V. Sipple & Son. The business is the distributor for Rock of Ages in Delaware and parts of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, according to the press release.
"What sets our company apart is our ability to prepare and execute custom memorial personalization," Scott Sipple, CEO of Wm. V. Sipple & Son, said in a statement included in the press release. "We prepare computer designs for all of our jobs and are able to engrave any image or sandblast inscription that our customers desire. This award is a tribute to our dedication to the families we have worked with over the years."
Wm. V. Sipple & Son was founded in 1869, and the company describes itself as "Milford's oldest business and Delaware's oldest monument dealer."
Read the full story here.
Dover monument honors 'Greatest Generation'
Monday, November 04, 2013 08:52:38 PM by Andrew West This column appeared in the Oct. 13, 2013, edition of the Delaware State News. By Andrew West Delaware State News
DOVER — It has been a long time coming, but soon there will be a monument to Delaware's World War II heroes at Legislative Hall in Dover.
"I wish they had done this about 30 years ago," said Dick Carter, chairman of the Delaware Heritage Commission.
Mr. Carter said the granite monument, 6 feet in height and 11 feet in length, will be placed on the southeast corner of Legislative Hall.
The marker will prominently feature the medals for those who served in the European and Pacific theaters.
The Commission on Veterans Affairs and Delaware General Assembly will dedicate the monument at noon Saturday, Nov. 9.
The streets will be closed in the area for the service.
"We're praying for good weather because we're going to do it rain or shine," said Mr. Carter.
"We're taking steps to see if we can have as many World War II veterans there as possible," he said.
He said some will be brought up from the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford.
Rep. Earl G. Jaques Jr., D-Newark, said the organizers want to have World War II veterans from all the services represented.
Of particular importance to his search for veterans is someone who served with the Coast Guard. Rep.
Jacques' father served on a Coast Guard ammunition carrier in the Pacific.
"My father (Earl Sr., who served in the Coast Guard) passed away about 18 years ago. It's a shame he won't be here to see it, but that's the case of so many people whose father, brother, has passed away. Even if somebody has passed away from your family, you should come to honor them.
"The crowd can't be big enough."
The public is invited to the unveiling ceremony. Visitors for the monument dedication will be invited to the Delaware Public Archives after the ceremony for refreshments.
The archives will have a World War II exhibit and some of the World War II veterans will share reflections on their service.
Rep. Earl G. Jaques Jr., D-Newark, and Sen. Bruce Ennis, D-Smyrna - Veterans Affairs committee chairs - worked closely with the Veterans Commission to make the memorial possible.
For years, there had been discussion of something of a larger scale, but Rep. Jaques said it needed to be scaled down.
"It's a project that the Veterans Commission had been working on for a number of years," said Rep. Jaques.
"They had come to me with a list and on there, was this item and I asked them how much. It was a budget that was astronomical. I said, 'This just isn't going to happen. You need to go get a good price.' So they were able to revamp and scale down the idea."
Readers may recall that this column featured a story in May 2008 about the original memorial plans.
The selection was a $360,000 project featuring the art of a Lake Placid, N.Y., sculptor.
"This World War II monument is definitely long overdue at Legislative Hall," said Sen. Ennis. "We're glad to get the funding through the bond bill this year."
In June, the legislature approved $50,000 for the monument.
For the current project, two committee members that had taken part in Vietnam and Korean veterans' monuments on the Circle in Georgetown asked Scott Sipple to come in and help the Veterans Commission with a new proposal.
Mr. Sipple, president of William V. Sipple and Son monument company, sat in on a meeting in May with 14 people to gather ideas.
"To say there were a lot of ideas that went into it and a lot of things that had to be sorted out and put together was an understatement," Mr. Sipple said.
"But it worked perfectly."
He returned to the next idea with a design that was quickly approved.
Mr. Sipple, whose father, uncle and father-in-law all served in World War II, was also designer of the Medal of Honor recipients memorial, Revolutionary War's Dover Light Infantry memorial and 9/11 tribute at Legislative Hall.
His family's business dates back to his great-grandfather purchasing the company in 1869.
Mr. Carter's father, Dr. William A.
Carter of Millsboro, was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.
In his book "Why Me, Lord?", Dr. Carter wrote about his experience leading an armed guard unit on a convoy with supplies to north Russia in 1942. Dr. Carter, who died in 2010, was awarded the Silver Star and a prestigious Soviet decoration.
"I grew up, as did many people, with an idea of what the people who fought in World War II had done and subscribed to the view that they were the greatest generation," said Mr. Carter.
For some perspective on Delaware's role in World War II, consider that Delaware had a population of 275,000 in 1941.
During the war years, there were 33,000 Delawareans who fought in the war and many thousands more who worked in defense plants, Mr. Carter said.
There were 812 Delawareans killed in the war.
"We're honoring all those who served in the war or contributed," he said, "and that will include those who lost their lives during the war, those who have passed away in the years since and those who are still with us."
Rep. Jacques said World War II veterans are passing at a rate of 670 a day nationally.
A project like this will be very meaningful to those still able to attend.
"It's been too long," said Rep. Jaques.
In discussing the memorial with Mr. Sipple, he had an interesting and timely observation about what monuments mean to people.
Citing the government shutdown, he said one of the first big news reports about the disruption was caused by the blocking of the World War II monument in Washington. A number of veterans went past the barricade anyway.
"It was certainly important to these folks and validated the way I feel about it," Mr. Sipple said. "People care about these things. This generation is rapidly dying out. There will come a time that one sure way to remind our children and grandchildren that these things took place is our monuments.
"There's definitely a value to them."
Monday, November 04, 2013 08:52:38 PM by Andrew West This column appeared in the Oct. 13, 2013, edition of the Delaware State News. By Andrew West Delaware State News
DOVER — It has been a long time coming, but soon there will be a monument to Delaware's World War II heroes at Legislative Hall in Dover.
"I wish they had done this about 30 years ago," said Dick Carter, chairman of the Delaware Heritage Commission.
Mr. Carter said the granite monument, 6 feet in height and 11 feet in length, will be placed on the southeast corner of Legislative Hall.
The marker will prominently feature the medals for those who served in the European and Pacific theaters.
The Commission on Veterans Affairs and Delaware General Assembly will dedicate the monument at noon Saturday, Nov. 9.
The streets will be closed in the area for the service.
"We're praying for good weather because we're going to do it rain or shine," said Mr. Carter.
"We're taking steps to see if we can have as many World War II veterans there as possible," he said.
He said some will be brought up from the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford.
Rep. Earl G. Jaques Jr., D-Newark, said the organizers want to have World War II veterans from all the services represented.
Of particular importance to his search for veterans is someone who served with the Coast Guard. Rep.
Jacques' father served on a Coast Guard ammunition carrier in the Pacific.
"My father (Earl Sr., who served in the Coast Guard) passed away about 18 years ago. It's a shame he won't be here to see it, but that's the case of so many people whose father, brother, has passed away. Even if somebody has passed away from your family, you should come to honor them.
"The crowd can't be big enough."
The public is invited to the unveiling ceremony. Visitors for the monument dedication will be invited to the Delaware Public Archives after the ceremony for refreshments.
The archives will have a World War II exhibit and some of the World War II veterans will share reflections on their service.
Rep. Earl G. Jaques Jr., D-Newark, and Sen. Bruce Ennis, D-Smyrna - Veterans Affairs committee chairs - worked closely with the Veterans Commission to make the memorial possible.
For years, there had been discussion of something of a larger scale, but Rep. Jaques said it needed to be scaled down.
"It's a project that the Veterans Commission had been working on for a number of years," said Rep. Jaques.
"They had come to me with a list and on there, was this item and I asked them how much. It was a budget that was astronomical. I said, 'This just isn't going to happen. You need to go get a good price.' So they were able to revamp and scale down the idea."
Readers may recall that this column featured a story in May 2008 about the original memorial plans.
The selection was a $360,000 project featuring the art of a Lake Placid, N.Y., sculptor.
"This World War II monument is definitely long overdue at Legislative Hall," said Sen. Ennis. "We're glad to get the funding through the bond bill this year."
In June, the legislature approved $50,000 for the monument.
For the current project, two committee members that had taken part in Vietnam and Korean veterans' monuments on the Circle in Georgetown asked Scott Sipple to come in and help the Veterans Commission with a new proposal.
Mr. Sipple, president of William V. Sipple and Son monument company, sat in on a meeting in May with 14 people to gather ideas.
"To say there were a lot of ideas that went into it and a lot of things that had to be sorted out and put together was an understatement," Mr. Sipple said.
"But it worked perfectly."
He returned to the next idea with a design that was quickly approved.
Mr. Sipple, whose father, uncle and father-in-law all served in World War II, was also designer of the Medal of Honor recipients memorial, Revolutionary War's Dover Light Infantry memorial and 9/11 tribute at Legislative Hall.
His family's business dates back to his great-grandfather purchasing the company in 1869.
Mr. Carter's father, Dr. William A.
Carter of Millsboro, was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.
In his book "Why Me, Lord?", Dr. Carter wrote about his experience leading an armed guard unit on a convoy with supplies to north Russia in 1942. Dr. Carter, who died in 2010, was awarded the Silver Star and a prestigious Soviet decoration.
"I grew up, as did many people, with an idea of what the people who fought in World War II had done and subscribed to the view that they were the greatest generation," said Mr. Carter.
For some perspective on Delaware's role in World War II, consider that Delaware had a population of 275,000 in 1941.
During the war years, there were 33,000 Delawareans who fought in the war and many thousands more who worked in defense plants, Mr. Carter said.
There were 812 Delawareans killed in the war.
"We're honoring all those who served in the war or contributed," he said, "and that will include those who lost their lives during the war, those who have passed away in the years since and those who are still with us."
Rep. Jacques said World War II veterans are passing at a rate of 670 a day nationally.
A project like this will be very meaningful to those still able to attend.
"It's been too long," said Rep. Jaques.
In discussing the memorial with Mr. Sipple, he had an interesting and timely observation about what monuments mean to people.
Citing the government shutdown, he said one of the first big news reports about the disruption was caused by the blocking of the World War II monument in Washington. A number of veterans went past the barricade anyway.
"It was certainly important to these folks and validated the way I feel about it," Mr. Sipple said. "People care about these things. This generation is rapidly dying out. There will come a time that one sure way to remind our children and grandchildren that these things took place is our monuments.
"There's definitely a value to them."
The above image is a conceptual rendering of how the World War II monument will appear in front of Legislative Mall in Dover. Scott Sipple listened to the ideas of a committee and came up with the design for the granite monument. The Rock of Ages company in Vermont will soon have it finished and ready for shipment to Dover.
Korean War Memorial dedicated in Dover
Local veterans and dignitaries gathered at the Kent County Veterans Memorial Park in Dover Sunday to dedicate the new Korean War Memorial. The monument, made of black granite, is cut in the shape of the state of Delaware. (Special to the Delaware State News photo by Doug Curran)
Updated July 27, 2014
DOVER — On July 27, 1953, at 10:40 a.m., the fighting stopped in Korea after three difficult years of conflict.
The Korean War has sometimes been called “Forgotten War” or the “Unknown War” because of the lack of public attention it received.
But on Sunday, veterans marked the 61st anniversary of the cease-fire between North and South Korea by dedicating the new Korean War Memorial at Kent County Veterans Memorial Park in Dover.
The ceremony, hosted by Vietnam Veterans of America Kent County Chapter 850, paid tribute to the men and women who fought in the war.
“We thank the Vietnam vets so much because they really did all the work,” said keynote speaker Daniel Coons, a Korean War veteran who served as an U.S. Army intelligence analyst.
“We are old guys ... so we couldn’t have done it without them.”
Dave Skocik, president of the Delaware Veterans Coalition and a member of the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter, said plans for the monument started about a year ago.
Over the years, he said, they had discussed the idea, and then George Goss, immediate past president of the Delaware Korean War Veterans Association, said he wanted to press forward with the monument.
“Dave, you guys have done one heck of a job for us, I’ll tell you,” Mr. Goss said in his remarks.
“I have wanted a monument in Dover for years, and we finally made it, thanks to you guys. Thank you very, very much.”
The monument, made of black granite cut in the shape of Delaware, is modeled after one in Georgetown. An inscription reads: “In honor and memory of all Korean War veterans who served and died for freedom.”
“This monument is well, well overdue,” agreed Nick Schroeder, the current president of the Delaware Korean War Veterans Association.
The Vietnam Veterans of America chapter helped through the sale of bricks and contributions, Mr. Skocik said.
“It’s amazing (the amount of) people who get up and write a check just because,” he said. “It’s so nice when you get a surprise check somebody sends on in.”
The new memorial ensures that those who lost their lives in the Korean War are not forgotten.
“...I now have a place when I want to remember buddies,” Mr. Coons said, starting to tear up. “I can come sit here and remember all the wonderful parts and the bad parts.”
Mr. Coons also founded the Airway Science Program at Delaware State University. From 1977 through 1987, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary as a command pilot and division commander flying interdiction and search-and-rescue missions. In 2011, he was inducted into Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame.
“You have no idea what it was like to come home from war and just be totally ignored, or rotten teenagers say nasty things to you while you’re in uniform, after coming back and watching your buddies die for them,” Mr. Coons said after the ceremony.
In his remarks, he recounted difficult battles and ticked off the elements of the United State forces that served in the Korean War, and the casualties they sustained.
“As this wonderful monument and wonderful memorial proves, we are not forgotten,” he said. “May God bless our country and God bless America.”
At the close of the ceremony, the names of 11 Kent County men who died in the war were read aloud, a bell rung after each name.
The memorial park on South Little Creek Road is already the home of the Vietnam Memorial and the Gold Star Mother and Families Memorial. Plans are in the works for a memorial for veterans of Middle East conflicts.
“Parks like this tap into many people out there that you’re not even aware of,” Mr. Skocik said.
“Even people who have never served, if they knew someone or they want to be a part of it, they want to honor those who serve.”
A form to order inscribed bricks at the site is available at www.DelawareVVA.com and click on the memorial link, or call 697-8384 for more information.
Staff writer Eleanor La Prade can be reached at 741-8242 or [email protected]. Follow @DSNEleanor on Twitter
