Page 24 - June2020 FOP Magazine

Marching On
The St. Jude Police March goes
virtual to generate the honor and
remembrance that mean so much
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
The best day of the year for Chicago Police Officers could not take place this year. At least not together with thousands of them march- ing along Lake Shore Drive to the Gold Star Families Park and Me- morial. The 88th annual St. Jude Police March gave way to the pandemic, so there was no actual “march in memory of all
that cannot” as the league’s mission envelops.
But a virtual rendition radiated, and if you haven’t seen the video, go to the Department’s Facebook page and enjoy the best 5 minutes and 24 seconds of the past few months. Hear the pipes and drums serenading as thousands of Chi- cago Police Officers stride in rhythm, in formation with their units, their stars wrapped in blue ribbons. Try not to beam – and perhaps drop an esteemed tear or two – seeing officers who march with their kids dressed in replica Chicago Police uni-
forms.
The procession eventually passes those storied guidons Acade-
my recruits hold firmly, showing the names and images of the 590 women and men of the Department who made the ultimate sacri- fice to the city of Chicago. Be moved by the placard honoring Of- ficer Thomas E. Torpy, EOW: Sept. 22, 1934, or the one to the right remembering Detective Daniel J. Quinnan, EOW: Sept. 19, 1966. No- tice how they share a style of hat, tie and so much more.
The St. Jude Police March, the extravaganza where everybody wears the same rank of Chicago Police Officer, went on this year with an emotional, pride-oozing video that showed the procession of 88 years through historical photos and footage. The vintage pro- duction from the Graphic Arts Section in the Department’s Office of Communications eloquently and engagingly generated the unfor- gettable and life-perpetuating honor that has taken place the first Sunday of every May since 1932.
“You feel a lot of pride, a lot of team spirit,” explains Mike Ostrows- ki, one of the leaders of the CPD Honor Guard, who has marched in more than a quarter of the 88 processions. “It’s that pride of remem- bering, honoring and representing the women and men of the Chi- cago Police Department past, present and future.”
Think of all the people the St. Jude march touches. Multiply each of the 590 fallen by an average of 10 for family members who so revel in this magnificent gesture of never forgetting them. Think of the thousands of officers who line up by unit clad in Class A splen- dor and walk with a purpose that reinforces why they took this job. Think of the thousands who line Lake Shore Drive – or Michigan Av- enue for all those years it previously served as the venue – cheering for Chicago Police Officers the way they so richly deserve.
It’s a day when Chicago Police Directing Chaplain Father Dan Brandt confirms that God is watching, because He always graces it with beautiful weather. It’s a day when having to park a mile away is just part of the calling.
“It’s a sense of duty,” Father Dan observes. “It’s remarkable the way they come together. It’s something that is unique to police work.”
The St. Jude Police League is the oldest fraternal order associat- ed with the Chicago Police Department. The St. Jude Police League
28 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2020