INCORPORATED DECEMBER 8, 1949 #694

EDITOR’S PHONE: 781-608-6220 EDITOR’S FAX: 617-742-1506 EDITOR’S E-MAIL: [email protected]

NOVEMBER 2012

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NOVEMBER 2012

FOURTH ELECTRONIC EDITION

Wall of Honor, Troop “B” Headquarters, Northampton ****

DUES It’s time to pay our annual dues (June 1 - May 31) and we are requesting an additional voluntary contribution of ($30.00) for the museum and learning center. Dues $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 Please check your records so that you don’t pay twice. Send to: Charles W. Coe, Jr., Treasurer, 3 CARTER ROAD, WOBURN, MA 01801 **** Officers and Board Members - President, Paul F. Matthews, Class of 1959 - Vice President, David W. Moran, Class of 1962 - Secretary, William P. Lennon, Class of 1964 - Treasurer, Charles W. Coe, Class of 1956 - Richard J. Barry, Class of 1956 - Thomas E. Creighton, ll, Class of 1974 - Nicholas L. DeCola, Class of 1959 - Daniel J. Donovan, Class of 1971 - James J. Martin, Class of 1959 - Francis J. McVeigh, Jr., Class of 1966 - Gerald D. Murphy, Class of 1972 - John A. Sorbera, Class of 1966

FMSTA NEWSLETTER

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Troopers Getting Long Overdue Salute

Issue No. 694 NOVEMBER 2012 Published Monthly FMSTA 712 Belville Blvd. Naples, FL 34104

By Jenn Smith, Berkshire Eagleberkshireeagle.com

Massachusetts State Trooper Andrew Canata kneels by the gravestone of Cpl. Albert T. Hayes at the St. Joseph Parish Cemetery in Pittsfield. Hayes is one of three troopers who died on duty who will be honored Wednesday thanks to Canata’s efforts. (Jenn Smith / Berkshire Eagle Staff)

PITTSFIELD -- For the past six months, state police Trooper Andrew Canata has been pounding the pavement between regional libraries and cemetery plots. But his tireless detective work has not been a pursuit of a murder suspect or a dangerous drug dealer, but rather an effort of compassion to help three fallen troopers and their families find honor and peace. Because of Canata's efforts, and the support he received from fellow police and community members, these men who died in service will be honored on Wednesday as part of National Police Week. Back in November, Canata attended a breath-alcohol technician training program at the Western Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council Academy on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College. While there, he took a moment to visit the Western Massachusetts Fallen Police Officer's Memorial. "I figured I should stop and pay my respects, since I had never been there before," said Canata, who is based out of the Cheshire barracks. The trooper said he remembered learning during his police academy training years ago, that there were seven police troopers, all from Troop B, who died in the line of duty in Western Massachusetts: Trooper George L. Prentiss, Trooper Alje M. Savela, Trooper Wallace E. Matthews, Sergeant James H. Marshall, Trooper Llewellyn A. Lowther, Trooper Charles F. McGonagle and Corporal Albert T. Hayes. But while reviewing the names and plaques at the memorial, he noticed that three names were missing: Troopers Lowther and McGonagle, and Cpl. Hayes. Lowther was on patrol in Adams on Sept. 20, 1924, when he lost control of his motorcycle on a bad stretch of road and was killed. He was 30 years old. According to an archived statement, Lowther was "the first of many to suffer either serious injury or death by virtue of the then primary mode of transportation for the State Police, the motorcycle."

Lowther 2.

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** McGonagle also died in a motorcycle crash on Aug. 2, 1932, in East Longmeadow. He was 36.

Hayes, of Lenox, was driving in Holyoke on Feb. 9, 1940, when he was struck head on by another vehicle, and later died from injuries. He was 33 years old.

McGonagle Hayes

"I remember standing there, thinking that something had to be done," Canata said. The memorial is maintained by the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association Inc., whose president is Chief Donald Poirot of the Adams Police Department. Canata consulted with him, as well as retired Chief Philip Adams of the Hampden Police Department and current organization secretary/treasurer, and got a project green light from his superior officers, Major Barry J. O'Brien, Capt. Patricia A. Driscoll and Lt. William C. Blackmer Jr. The next charge he received was to track down and contact living family members of the fallen troopers, so they could be notified, so profiles of the three troopers could be compiled, and so the troopers could be appropriately honored. Canata said he then scoured media archives with the help of librarian Jeannie Maschino at The Berkshire Eagle, local history specialist Ann-Marie Harris of the Berkshire Athenaeum, and members of Springfield City Library. He used online resources, from Google search engines, WhitePages.com, Ancestry.com and even Facebook. He visited cemeteries, called funeral homes and town halls. He said he also found that other people, from fellow police members to historians and relatives of the deceased, had also had some research on these men and their families. "This was a huge group effort that garnered a huge sense of community," Canata said. The trooper was stumped a few times, because until last month, U.S. census data was only available up to 1930. Federal law prohibits public use of the census for 72 years from the original census date. But through obituaries, online posts and a few phone calls, Canata was able to trace lines of heritage to the three troopers' living relatives. So, Troopers Lowther and McGonagle, and Cpl. Hayes, each will be represented by a family member at Wednesday's ceremony at the memorial wall in Springfield. Each trooper will also have his name inscribed on the wall, with a plaque and bronze medal, with their name, rank, date appointed and date of death printed there. Canata said this project, though frustrating at times, was worth the effort. "A lot of these guys were doing things then that we do now, from school emergency planning to traffic safety, working with other state agencies and having performed military services," he said. "We still do the same work, we still perform the same functions. This week, we remember that there are men and women police officers out there day and night, protecting their community and putting themselves in harm's way for others. That's why it's important to remember all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our safety," Canata said. **** 3.

CEREMONY FOR DECEASED “B” TROOPERS AT NORTHAMPTON

Commissioned Officers and Troopers Assemble. FMSTA members foreground front row (l-r) Leonard Von Flatern, Francis Reardon, Joe Jagodowski. standing (l-r) (white jacket) Ed Jurczyk, Jack Spellacy, and John Danehey.

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(l-r) Fr. Hamilton (seated), Sgt. William Loiselle, Tpr. David Pinkham, Tpr. Jeffrey Burke, Tpr. Matthew Mielke.

☞ Sgt. Marshal’s family (l-r) Christine Ainsworth (daughter), Patricia Pacelli (daughter), April Greene (granddaughter), Chase Greene, age 20 months (great-grandson). 4.

CEREMONY AT NORTHAMPTON

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Table with six plaques which will be displayed in the appropriate barracks.

(l-r) Tpr. Theodore Tudryn, FMSTA member Maura Schiavina (a spokesperson for Police Survivors, her brother was murdered while serving as a Springfield Police Officer) Tpr. Brendan Shugrue, Tpr. Andrew Canata.

(l-r) Tpr. Tudryn, Major Barry O’Brien, Troop “B” CO, Tpr. Shugrue.

Picture to be displayed at the Russell sub station (B-5) of Wallace Mathews. He is the older brother of FMSTA member Donald Mathews ’59.

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(l-r) Tprs. Tudryn, Canata and Shugrue. 5.

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AN EXCERPT FROM THE SPEECH GIVEN BY TROOPER ANDY CANATA AT THE BHQ DEDICATION I first became involved in this endeavor last November when I attended a class at the Western Mass Municipal Training Academy at S.T.C.C. and realized that Corporal Albert Hayes, Trooper Llewllyn Lowther and Trooper Charles McGonagle’s names were missing from the Western Mass Fallen Police Officer’s Memorial, which is located on the campus. With the full support of the State Police and the Western Mass Police Chief’s Association, who maintain the memorial, we were able to successfully petition to have these three fallen troopers names added to the memorial this past May. The endeavor was a great community effort as many helped during the research phase to acquire the necessary information and documentation to have these troopers’ names added to the memorial wall as well as we were able to locate their family members. We elicited the help of local libraries, cemeteries, funeral parlors, town halls, other current and many former troopers as well as other law enforcement agencies to assist with the cause. The State Police Museum and Learning Center; I’d especially like to recognize Retired Lt. Tom McNulty, also provided great assistance with the research that went into this project. With this large community effort, as I previously stated, we were also fortunately able to successfully locate and speak with family members and invite them to these ceremonies. Through this process, I learned a greater appreciation for the struggles and hardships that these fallen troopers as well as many of the retired troopers from the FMSTA in attendance today strived and persevered through. There were long shifts and long periods of time away from family and loved ones. Many of these troopers lived in the barracks in what have been called “Spartan Conditions,” patrolled the Commonwealth year-round by horseback and motorcycle, long before the advent of the “radio car” or what we now call the modern cruiser. They further paved the way for the following generations of troopers, such as me, so that we have enhanced officer safety protocols, better working conditions, pay and benefits. Their hard work and dedication to the service of others instilled the pride, honor and traditions that we all carry with us today and helped craft the respect and admiration that the “French and Electric Blue” receives even to this date when we arrive and become involved at a scene. ****

OBITUARIES

PAUL J. BIRMINGHAM, 46TH RTT SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, PA November 7, 2012-- A pickup truck driver was killed Tuesday morning after striking a tractor-trailer's gas tank on Interstate 81 -- setting the tractor-trailer on fire. Paul J. Birmingham, 78, of Florida, was driving northbound around 9:41 a.m. when for unknown reasons the passenger side of his vehicle struck the median guard rail near mile marker 30.5. After impact, he crossed the median and entered the southbound lane, where he struck the fuel tank of a tractor-trailer driven by Vitaly Yurchenko, 40, of Harrisonburg, VA. Birmingham died instantly, according to Pennsylvania State Police, Carlisle. Yurchenko and a passenger exited the burning tractor-trailer with minor injuries. Paul was a native of Lynn and after graduating from English High School joined the United States Air Force where he served for ten years. He was a member of the 46th Recruit Training Troop which graduated in 1964. Upon graduation he was assigned to Troop “D” Middleboro. He served most of his career in Troop “A” at Topsfield, Lynnfield and on the 55 team. He retired in 1990 with the rank of lieutenant. After his retirement, he lived in NH worked part time as an Osipee, NH police officer. Later he moved to Hernando, FL. Arrangements are incomplete as this newsletter goes to print. **** 6.

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A SHORT DICK CLEMENS STORY BY DICK CELLI ‘62 It was sometime in the late 6o’s, soon after the Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAPS) went into effect, that I was attending night classes at Berkshire Community College at the old Pittsfield High School on Second Street before the new community college was built on the outskirts of Pittsfield. Dick Clemens was also attending classes there along with a number of police officers from the local departments in the Berkshires. I had known Dick since I first went on the job at SP Lee. Dick was assigned to SP Pittsfield and occasionally our paths would cross at the mail relay location of Howard Johnson’s restaurant at the Pittsfield- Lenox line. This was the spot where Dick had posed as the model for Norman Rockwell’s painting, “The Runaway”. But at this time when we were attending classes, he was assigned as an investigator in the District Attorney’s office in Pittsfield. I later worked temporary assigned duty with Dick for three months on a stolen car investigation in the DA’s office and learned firsthand how much Dick was respected as an investigator by all that came into contact with him. This was a time when there was only one investigator assigned to the DA’s office in the Berkshires to assist the Det. Lt. and you used your own car, were paid mileage, and you didn’t even have a radio. So it happened that one night as we were in the cafeteria having a break between classes with a number of police officers and students, a young lady walked in to the room and said in a voice that was slightly higher than normal, “Hey, you guys are cops aren’t you?” For a moment, there was silence as everyone turned to look at Dick. Being assigned to the DA’s office and as experienced as he was, everyone justifiably knew that Dick would know how to handle this situation. Dick stood up, turned to her and answered, saying, “What’s the matter?” In the same high, excited voice she answered, “I work in the library and some guy just exposed himself to me.” Two of Pittsfield’s finest jumped up from their table and immediately ran into the hall headed for the library in a vain attempt to locate someone that was probably in the parking lot by now. With her response, Dick went to work: a crime had just been committed under his nose. Now when Dick swung into action he appeared to swell up and lean forward ever so slightly so that it appeared that his chin was jutting forward just a little bit. Assuming this most authoritative pose and in a serious voice Dick said, “What did he look like?” She seemed a little confused and frustrated and cocking her head slightly, with palms turning slightly outward said in a lower tone of voice, “You know, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” There was complete silence for a fraction of a second before everyone lost it, police and all of the students cracked up. And after she realized what she had said even the complainant was laughing. Laughing the loudest…. our boy Dick.

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Editor’s comment We need more submissions from the members about the humorous aspects of their job experiences. Thanks, Dick.

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FMSTA 712 Belville Blvd. Naples, FL 34104

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage PAID Marie’s Direct Mail Worcester, MA

44TH RTT GRADUATION - JULY 7, 1962 (l-r) Richard Celli, Carlton Stillings, Paul Larkin, Howard Levings DAVID W. MORAN, Editor DINO G. CIOCCI, Asst. Editor FRANK J. McVEIGH, Asst. Editor 8.