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A Trooper Returns...... |
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The email below is a great, true story. The
letter was written by Senior
Investigator Jack Graham of the New York State
Police to fellow members of
the NY State Police and to the Syracuse Police
who, on April 17, 2003,
participated in a hastily planned ceremonial
escort for a soldier killed in
Iraq. Feel free to pass this on. These are the
kinds of stories that make us
proud to be an American.
On Thursday, April 17, 2003, you participated
in an escort detail for
GREGORY P. HUXLEY JR who was killed in action
in Iraq on April 6, 2003. On
behalf of the entire Huxley family and from me,
personally, I want to say
"Thank you very much." Your professionalism
dedication and sincerity meant
so much to the Huxley family, that words cannot
describe their
feelings at this time.
What most did not know was that the US Army had
promised the family members
that they would be taken to Dover, Delaware to
be present when their son
arrived from Iraq and there would be a full
military ceremony in Dover for
GREGORY. Unfortunately, there was a
communication problem and they were not
present during that ceremony.
Then they were informed that the body of their
son was being flown to
Syracuse and that the funeral director could
pick up the "fallen soldier" at
the cargo area of the airport and that somebody
would help them remove the
casket from the cardboard shipping container
for transport to Boonville, NY.
The funeral director felt that unacceptable for
a nineteen year old young
man that gave his life for this country and for
the freedom of so many
others. As a family friend he contacted me to
see if anything could be done.
We now had six hours before GREGORY arrived in
Syracuse.
Phone calls were made to SP North Syracuse and
SGT Nick Harmatiuk took over
from there. What you participated in and
observed the rest of that day was
wonderful. What happened was just visually and
emotionally overwhelming.
The procession left SP North Syracuse led by
eight Syracuse PD motorcycles,
followed by the hearse, four cars with family
members and followed by ten
State Police and Syracuse PD cars. How ironic
it was that when the
procession was traveling parallel to the
runway, the plane carrying GREGORY
landed next to it. We were able to enter the
plane's cargo area and remove
the shipping crate from the casket and drape
the American flag over the
casket. When the casket traveled down the
conveyor belt, fifteen New York
State Troopers and the same amount of Syracuse
Policemen lined the path to
the awaiting hearse-all at attention. A hand
salute was executed as six
State Troopers proudly bore the flag draped
coffin to the hearse. After a
short prayer, the family was given some time to
welcome their son home.
The entire airport was so quiet. I looked up at
the concourse windows and
saw a hundred or more people. They were all
standing, watching, with their
hands over their hearts, saluting a young man
that they did not know.
Somehow they learned that a fallen soldier had
come home and they wanted to
honor his sacrifice.
The casket was then placed in the hearse and
the procession left the airport
in the same fashion as we arrived, only this
time with a young hero that our
hearts will never forget.
The motorcade was escorted to the thruway
entrance by the Syracuse Police
Department's motorcycles. All traffic was
stopped for the procession and we
headed east towards Boonville. After getting
off the thruway, we found that
every intersection that the procession
encountered was controlled by State
Troopers, allowing us a safe, unimpeded
passage. At each intersection, the
State Trooper stood at attention, saluting the
fallen soldier and his
family, giving him and his family the respect
that they deserved. How
emotional that was to see and now to reflect
on.
When entering the Village of Boonville, the
main street was decorated with
an infinite number of American Flags and yellow
ribbons. As we approached
the center of town, all of the church bells
began to peal at once
recognizing and saluting Gregory's arrival.
Hundreds of people holding
American flags lined the street, some with
their hand over their heart and
some weeping for GREGORY for what he
sacrificed, for us and his country. As
we drove by the village park, the National
Anthem was being played, for
GREGORY, and I think, for all of us.
At the funeral home, eight veterans lifted the
casket out of the hearse and
into the home with the family. GREGORY had
returned home.
GREGORY'S family said to me later that the
images I have just described will
always be etched in their hearts, forever. But
the one memory that will
always be there first, was of the State
Troopers at the airport, standing at
attention, saluting, with tears running down
their cheeks for their son, a
fallen soldier. A hero whom those Troopers
never personally knew.
Our jobs take many different avenues in life.
We hope that during our day or
shift that we have made a difference, a
positive contribution. On this
occasion you did just that. An entire family
knows that you cared to do your
very best to honor their son. Their words and
expressions told me just that.
We made a difference yesterday, and we did it
well.
The rewards we receive for details like this
one do not come from anywhere
but from the heart. Take pride in what you
accomplished, because it was
distinct and without equal in this Trooper's
eye. I have had so many good
things happen since I have been a State
Trooper, but in those twenty-four
years, I have never been more proud of the New
York State Police as I was
yesterday. A fallen soldier, a hero, a son, a
brother has finally come home,
in grand deserving style, thanks to all of you.
Jack Graham
Senior Investigator
New York State Police
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