Page 36 - June 2017 Newsletter

Hats off to the fallen
Chicago Police Honor Guard members light up Police Week the Chicago way
n STORY AND PHOTOS BY AMBER RAMUNDO
Five flags, four hats and one trumpet captured a world of sacrifice in a single tribute at the National Police Week Honor Guard Competition on May 14 in Washington, D.C. A team of five Chicago officers shined their shoes glossy, shaved their faces smooth and suited up in finely pressed uniforms to take the platform with pristine synchrony in front of the U.S. Capitol.
A captivated audience gathered in front of the Capitol’s gleaming reflecting pool to watch the Chicago Police De- partment Honor Guard deliver a memorable tribute to fallen officers in an eight-minute presentation that hung heavy in the crowd long after their closing march off the gated platform. Their footsteps rattled the pavement, willing the crowd silently to feel the grave meaning be- hind the words, movements and symphony. Team lead- er Abdulah Beyah conceived the idea to honor how the brotherhood of law enforcement officers extends beyond the borders of one police department, city or state with this expression of remembrance.
“We like to stick with the idea of honoring the fallen,” Beyah stated, reiterating the recurring theme of Chica- go Police Honor Guard presentations that make a state-
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2017
ment each year at the Honor Guard competition, so much so that other teams have adopted a similar initiate that strays from the standard gun twirling and flag flying typi- cally seen at the event.
The voices of the Chicago Police Honor Guard spoke out, sharing tragic events that took the lives of fellow of- ficers, each of varied ranks and jurisdictions, but all pos- sessing the singular honor of those who give it all to pro- tect and serve.
“Remember what we’re here for,” Honor Guard member Richard Robles stressed to his team members, who drove to Washington D.C., for the competition. “Whatever hap- pens, whatever results there are, we’re here to remember. We’re here to set a tone.”
Before setting the scene for the memorial presenta- tion with headgear of four law enforcement officers lined neatly on a blue-clothed table, the Chicago team stood stern in a head-to-toe inspection performed by U.S. Army Honor Guard members. Robles, Mike Ostrowski, Michael Prohaska, Beyah and Chris Rothwell barely winked as in- spectors used rulers to measure the spacing of buttons and pins on their navy jackets. The inspectors circled each member, recording every detail that would amount to points for or against while the five men stood like stat-