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ISHPEMING — On Sept. 23, Cheryl and Terry Blaskowski answered the door of their downstate home and were met by grim military officials.


The news they had dreaded to hear had come: Their son Matthew was killed in action by a sniper’s bullet while serving in Afghanistan.





On Wednesday afternoon at Jasper Ridge Inn in Ishpeming, mother and father burst into tears as they looked over the unusual work of art that would be their son’s memorial. A 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad motorcycle’s gas tank, saddle bags and other pieces were painted in the sandy camouflage of desert fatigues and covered with airbrushed replicas of his medals, his military patches and photos of his career in the U.S. Army.


“This is him,” Terry softly said as he squatted to get a better look at the pieces, which were done by Rachel Niemi of Raven Graphics in Champion. “This is wonderful. It’s so realistic.”


Terry and Cheryl slowly looked over each piece. One side of the gas tank depicted Matthew’s marriage to a young woman from Italy named Daniela Cadore, the other side a picture of him with bandages around his thigh where he took a bullet while dragging a fellow soldier to safety — an act of courage that won him the Silver Star.


“I expected something amazing because of how dedicated Rachel is to her work and how much time she puts into it,” Cheryl said. “This surpassed my expectations.”


The motorcycle, once it’s reassembled near their home in Levering in the northern Lower Peninsula, will become a representation of the life Matthew lived. From his love for the military to his desire to help those less fortunate than him, memories of their son come flooding back to the Blaskowskis when they glance at the paintings.


Cheryl remembered the day Matthew was born — March 5, 1980.


“I had to wait because there were so many people at the hospital that day I couldn’t get in right away,” she said. “So I had to wait two hours before I could get in and he could be born.”


Just over 28 years later, it wasn’t his birth they were celebrating but his life.


“Matthew loved what he did,” Terry said. “This work that Rachel did captures his spirit. She was worried that someone might be disappointed in this. She’s wrong. It’s absolutely perfect.”


The motorcycle will also be used to inspire and to teach others. On Father’s Day weekend — June 14 and 15 — the Kawasaki will be on display at the Michigan International Speedway in downstate Brooklyn during the first of two annual NASCAR events held there.


The showcasing of the bike and the artwork on it will — hopefully —  get people to take notice, Terry said.


“Sometimes it’s like people forget about Afghanistan and what our soldiers are doing over there,” he said. “When people see this motorcycle and the work Rachel has done, hopefully they ask questions and learn more about what is happening. That’s the goal.”


And answering questions that come to mind when viewing the motorcycle won’t be a problem for the Blaskowski family. They’re eager to talk about the war on terror still being fought in the Afghan mountains, as well as anything pertaining to the 173rd Airborne Division with which Matthew served. But mostly, they’re happy to answer questions and discuss their son’s life.


“We are so proud of him,” said Cheryl, her eyes filling with tears as she dabbed at them with tissue. “We miss him so much.


“This motorcycle is going to be our pride and joy. We’re going to ride it and show it to anyone who wants to see it. It’s absolutely everything we hoped it would be and so much more.”

 

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