For almost five years, Jim and Starr Nickel have built rock monuments near Needles, California, dedicated to United States military branches. The monuments sit near the KOA campground at 5400 National Old Trails Road, an old alignment of Route 66.
It appears the Needles Downtown Business Alliance will aid the couple in maintaining the monuments after its Jan. 7 meeting. Alliance president Phil Crouch earlier this month gave the Nickels gift cards to help with the monuments’ upkeep, according to the Needles Desert Star.
The newspaper provided some background on the monuments:
What began as something to keep him busy turned into a project that honors the various military branches and organizations that support veterans, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Nickel started out with creating the rock monument to honor his wife. Then before long, he made one for himself and for a long-time friend.
All the monuments are created by hand and rock out in the area. Nickel became more serious about creating the military monuments after a health scare, he said. He spends quite a bit of time on each one. It’s meant thousands of trips out there but it occupies his time, he added.
She said both she and Jim have connections to the military and their children and grandchildren have or are serving in various branches.
Starr said with the way things are in this country, there’s a need to be centered and to remember that freedom isn’t free. “We’re free for one reason and that’s our military,” she continued.
Most recently, Nickel completed a monument recognizing prisoners of war and missing in action. It includes a POW/MIA flag.
Much of the expenses are for American flags placed at the monuments The couple generally spends about $100 on the flags. They last only about three weeks before hot desert winds tatter them or knock them down.
The alliance wants to help the Nickels in keeping up the appearance of the memorials. Visitors often stop by them to salute or leave mementos, Starr Nickel said.
Recent images of the monuments may be seen here and here.
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