CANADIAN POLICE MEMORIAL.
ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2000,I LEFT FOR OTTAWA, CANADA FOR THE POLICE MEMORIAL. CHUCK MAIER, WHO PLANNED TO GO, WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND AND UNFORTUNATELY OUR CHIEF MARK WELDON WASN'T ABLE TO APPROVE A POLICE VEHICLE FOR THIS TRIP, AS IN YEARS PAST. REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE, HOWEVER, I DECIDED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE AND BECAUSE OF MY RECENT INJURY MY WIFE TOOK OFF WORK TO DRIVE AND HELP OUT.
THIS YEAR CANADA HONORED FIVE OFFICERS, CONSTABLE CHARLES MERCIER, OFFICER DANIEL BROWN, CONSTABLE JAMES MCFADDEN, CONSTABLE MARK NIEUWENHUIS, AND SERGEANT MARGARET EVE.
THE WEATHER ALTHOUGH RAINING THE DAY AND NIGHT BEFORE TURNED OUT OKAY. THE SUN WAS SHINING AND IT WAS WARMING UP. THE CROWD WAS BIGGER THIS YEAR AND THEIR ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS THEIR GUEST SPEAKER.
JUST BEFORE THE CEREMONY, I WAS APPROACHED BY A TALL, RUGGED LOOKING OLDER GENTLEMAN WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AND INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS A RETIRED OTTAWA POLICE CHIEF. FROM MY UNIFORM PATCH HE COULD SEE THAT I WAS FROM OHIO AND HE THANKED ME FOR COMING AS HE STRETCHED HIS LARGE HAND TO MINE. HE BEGAN TO TELL ME THAT YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, AN OFFICER OF HIS HAD BEEN BRUTUALLY MURDERED. HIS MEN APPROACHED HIM AND ASKED IF THEY COULD, FOR ONE-DAY, DRIVE THEIR POLICE CRUISERS AROUND TOWN WITH THEIR LIGHTS ON IN HONOR OF THIS OFFICER. HE HAD AGREED BUT THOUGHT THERE MUST BE MORE THAT COULD BE DONE. WELL THERE WAS AND IS NOW. AS HE WAS TELLING ME HIS STORY A TEAR ROLLED OUT FROM HIS EYES AND DOWN HIS CHEEK. HE BRUSHED AWAY THE TEAR, SMILED SLIGHTLY AND AGAIN THANKED ME FOR COMING, SHAKING MY HAND, THEN WALKING AWAY. I HAD ALREADY FORGOTTEN HIS NAME AS HE WALKED AWAY BUT NEVER WILL I FORGET THE LOOK IN HIS EYES AND UPON HIS FACE AS HE SPOKE TO ME. I WAS PROUD TO BE A POLICE OFFICER THIS DAY AND VERY PROUD TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO NOT ONLY REPRESENT OUR FOP BUT OUR COMMUNITY AND GREAT COUNTRY. I HAD GONE THERE TO HONOR THOSE HEREOS WHOSE LIVES HAD BEEN CUT SHORT DOING WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY, AND STOOD IN AWE OF A MAN I HAD MET THIS DAY. TO THINK, HE THANKED ME FOR COMING! HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THIS MAN AND OTHERS I, WE, WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE THIS DAY TO REMEMBER. AS I SHOOK HIS HAND TO LEAVE, WITH A CHOKED VOICE, I THANKED HIM FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE.
THE FOP OF NEW YORK REPRESENTED OUR COUNTRY. OUR FLAG, ALONG WITH THE CANADIAN FLAG WAS CARRIED IN HONOR OUT FRONT. THE ANTHEMS OF BOTH CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES WERE ALSO PLAYED. IN CLOSING THIS WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO GO AND REPRESENT YOU. SO, AS WE GO OUT EACH DAY, LET'S REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE..
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