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Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo: “They wanted to be The Police”
A Duty of Honor
CPD Honor Guard carries special tribute to Officers Gary and Marmolejo
Deafening quiet swirled outside the St. Rita Cascia Shrine Chapel before and af- ter the funeral services for Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo. Only the sounds of “Present arms” and the stepping of the Chicago Police Department Honor Guard echoed through the air, thick with cold and gray.
Serving as pallbearers for Gary and Mar- molejo allowed the eight members of the CPD Honor Guard to accentuate the way Chicago Police Officers honor their own. Prior to 2018, the honor guard had not per- formed these unfortunate but gallant du- ties in seven years. Only two officers on the squad – founding honor guard members Don Scott and Mike Ostrowski – had even done this before.
From the uniform striding with the cas- kets in and out of the church, however, to the bowing of heads in unison to immac- ulate flag-folding and presentation execu- tion, the CPD Honor Guard added integrity, dignity and passion that so much defined Gary and Marmolejo.
“I remember my first one, which was Of- ficer James Camp back in 1999. I remember the jitters, the excitement and the adrena- line,” recalled Scott, who has been with the honor guard since its inception in 1998. “We had some officers who had never done this before, and you don’t want to ever do one. But they were ready to do what we are trained to do.”
In many aspects, these funerals are a new experience for the honor guard. For the first time ever, honor guard officers had to perform a double flag-folding for Officer Gary. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, his casket was draped with the U.S. flag as well as the traditional City of Chicago flag.
Scott presented the flags to Superinten- dent Eddie Johnson, who presented them to Governor Rauner and Mayor Emanuel, respectively. They were then presented to Gary’s wife, Kelly. When they presented the city flag to Officer Mamolejo’s wife, Maria, it marked the fourth time this year the hon- or guard had done so.
“Unfortunately, you become somewhat numb and don’t necessarily pay attention to what’s going on around you,” Scott add- ed. “You put all your thoughts and ener- gies into what your task is. We felt like we brought the honor, and it was a unique ex- perience.”
44 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2019
Flag Praising
10th District Officer creates special tribute to fallen brothers
When Ramiro Alvarez, an officer in 010, heard about the tragedy of losing Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo, he pulled an all-night vigil. And then he pulled an- other one.
He spent those two long nights creat- ing tributes to both officers in the form of 20-by-40 American flags made with wood. These original pieces featured a thin blue line and pictures of each officer in the center. He adorned them with LED blue lights that can be turned on to a con- stant or blinking mode.
On his way to pay respects at the vis- itation for Marmolejo on the night of Dec. 21, Alvarez related how he started these tributes by making one for Chica- go Firefighter Juan Bucio, who was lost in the line of duty in July. He made one for Samuel Jimenez in November, and with the help of his wife went to work to honor Gary and Marmolejo.
“Just something for the family,” he ex- plained. “These are our families, and no matter what, we’re always going to re- member them.”
Before going into the chapel to offer condolences to Kelly Gary and Maria Marmolejo, Alvarez posted the tribute pieces out front. He emphasized how it was a gesture of remembrance from the Chicago Police Department family to the Gary and Marmolejo families. He wanted it all to be a simple message.
“They’re heroes,” Alvarez added. “They were doing their jobs, and they’re going to be heroes no matter what.”
When asked about the tough year 2018
10th District Officer Ramiro Alvarez shows the tribute flag he made to honor Eduardo Marmo- lejo.
had been, with four Chicago Police Offi- cers lost in the line of duty, Alvarez real- ized that something was missing. By the end of that night, he had already begun work on another flag to honor Com- mander Paul Bauer, who was lost in Feb- ruary. He planned to deliver that piece to the Bauer family as soon as possible.