Page 43 - FOP June 2019 Magazine

ness and military bearing and the Color Guard phase requiring units to post national and state colors gear more to a drill team than an honor guard, as CPD member William Riga noted.
Adding up scores from all three phases put the CPD in fifth place. But the competition features a Judge’s Award to the unit that goes above and beyond to capture the true spirit of the competition.
As soon as the CPD Honor Guard concluded its exhibition by releasing four white doves – a climactic salute to the fallen four – the Judge’s Award was a forgone conclusion. This year’s routine combined the greatest hits of past exhibitions to express Chica- go Police Officers’ views, values and the unequivocal belief that they take care of their own.
“It certainly is nice to put all of the negative things aside and focus on something like this: a solemn, respectful ceremony,” shared Richard Robles, an officer in 014 who has been with the honor guard for nine years. “Today is a moment when we can feel the love and transmit a message to our brethren.”
That message, just to be clear, is:
“We are here for them,” Riga emphasized. “That’s it, period. I don’t care if we go overtime with our presentation, as long as we get our message across that we will always be there for our fallen heroes and for their families.”
The five members of the CPD Honor Guard who made up the competition squad went to work in early February to brain- storm ideas for this year’s exhibition. In 2010, the squad first put up a presentation with the shoes of officers lost in the line of duty. The 2011 exhibition included raising white roses that were handed out to the audience, just like this year. They talked to family members of all four fallen officers to collect stories of how they lived to tell in Washington, D.C.
After choreographing the conglomeration of ideas, the final production needed a leading man. Detective Cullen Murphy, who has been with the honor guard since 2007, had suggested the blast from the past. So he became the voice of this year’s ex- hibition, and there could not have been a better man for the job.
“He really speaks from emotion when he does stuff,” Robles described. “And we wanted someone who would speak from the heart.”
Murphy’s heart rate did rev up a bit before going on.
“I was sweating remembering all my lines,” he disclosed. “But I just wanted to respect the four officers we lost this past year.”
As Ostrowski, Robles, Odoms and Riga staged at a back table, a front table had several pairs of shoes and the roses. Murphy’s opening statement revealed the mission to carry on a tradition to honor the four officers and “to share how these husbands and sons and fathers lived.”
He addressed each fallen officer by saying what each family wanted you to know. The family of Commander Bauer wanted everybody to know their love of taking trips together, and how Paul would drop everything to help his daughter, Grace, with her homework. And how they cherished his ability to see both sides of every story.
As Odoms picked up Bauer’s Mounted Unit boots off the back table and placed them behind a pair of Grace’s sneakers, Mur- phy announced, “Grace does the same as Paul. She will pursue debate as she enters high school in the fall.”
What the family of Samuel Jimenez wanted you to know, Murphy said, was that he always sang to his children, wrestled with them and promised he would always be there to walk them through the good times and the bad. As Robles placed Sam’s Class A uniform shoes behind his kids’ shoes, Murphy conclud- ed, “They just closed by saying he was their best friend.”
Mike Ostrowski (left) sets the final pair of shoes belonging to Officer Con- rad Gary during the CPD Honor Guard’s presentation.
What the Marmolejo family wanted you to know is how he would carry his youngest daughter, Madeleine, to bed every night and sing to her, “I know a girl named Maddie and her best friend is daddy.” And that every Valentine’s Day, he would buy each of his three daughters a different colored rose to remind them to be independent. As Riga placed Eduardo’s Class A shoes behind those of his daughters, Murphy reminded of the prom- ise Rebecca, his oldest, made at his funeral. “She promised she would carry on and finish his tour of duty.”
What the Gary family wanted you to know was the special bond he had formed with his newborn daughter Tess. Ostrows- ki placed Conrad’s Class A shoes behind a pair of his wife Kelly’s flats, and Murphy revealed, “He would always look into her eyes and say, ‘You are my little friend.’ She would reach back, touch- ing his face as if to say, ‘You are my little friend, too.’”
Then, Murphy walked over to the table and pulled a pair of Tess’ baby shoes out of Conrad’s.
“How are we ever going to be able to fill these shoes?” Murphy extolled as the presentation reached its high point. And with that, Chicago went from being the city of big shoulders to the city of big shoes. Ostrowski reacted to other agencies express- ing their praise for the CPD Honor Guard for truly bringing the honor to this year’s event by giving the credit where the credit was due.
“When talking to the families, I wish there was a way you can see in their eyes and hear in the voices the strength that pierces through you,” he confided. “The families, from the littlest ones to moms, have the amazing spirit to keep us moving forward.”
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