2006 Police Memorial Service
Frank Boni, Keynote Speaker

I ended my POAT presidency in 2001 and retired from MDPD in 2003 and the opportunity to come out of retirement to be apart of this ceremony one more time is so great I can hardly put my feelings into words. I’d like to share with you a little about the Memorial, POAT’s involvement, how we got where we are today and where we’re heading tomorrow and next year. 

The history of the Memorial is well documented and in fact, printed in your program each year by Sgt. Dave Greenwell who manages this ceremony and makes sure we get every detail just right. But I’d like to share some of the details not everyone knows. Twenty-five years ago we began this event and we owe a great debt to the fellows got it started. Pete Cuccaro, a Commander with MDPD and later Chief of the School Board PD, Fred Exum and Dennis Nye worked with the Miami Springs Chamber and their Committee of 100 to secure the initial funds.  And it is true that Mr. Exum was driving past with his family, in a suit and tie when he saw the original materials being unloaded and he stopped, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and helped with the original construction.

In 1989 the Trust was established and assumed the responsibility for managing the Memorial site and ceremony. That was when we met a group that was to shape the attitude and values of everyone involved with POAT.  I know a lot of cops and every one of them is fearless. And certainly no one would disagree that every member of the Roll Call of Honor has shown bravery beyond description. But the most courageous of all, without question are the survivors. They were the ones brave enough to share their loved ones to keep us all safe and when they lost that loved one they did the hardest thing of all, they kept on living and raising their families.

The motto or mantra of the Trust is “Serving Those Who Serve” but in truth the real credos are finding a way to help individual officers to deal with catastrophic situations so that they can work and keep us all safe, and making sure that no matter what ever happens to any officer, his or her family will always be part of the law enforcement family. Because of the things these survivors taught us, we make sure that the children of officers killed in the line of duty as well as those who simply died during their career receive wonderful Christmas gifts and are remembered on their birthdays. They always know they are part of something special. And reading the cards that come back from those kids or taking a Christmas basket to a home are things you never forget.

I remember in 1998 we were talking about the Memorial Ceremony, trying to find ways to make it better, more meaningful, more relevant. During that time, my daughter who was a junior in high school came home with a paper written by a kid in her school describing the challenges she faced growing up after her dad had been killed in the line of duty. My kid asked me “hey dad, dio you know these folks.” And of course I did. It was Amy Mertes daughter of North Miami Officer Carl Mertes and Linda Mertes, now Linda Loizzo Chief of Police for the North Miami Beach PD. So I brought her report to the Board and they agreed we needed to hear from survivors. So we asked Linda if Amy could come home from college to tell her story and as everyone who saw her speak knows, the character of the Memorial was forever changed. After the 98 ceremony the Board decided that survivors would always speak at the Ceremony. A couple of years later we were here, at the site talking about the difficulties of maintaining the grounds. And it occurred to us that the site didn’t seem to attract people to it except for the ceremony. So again the Board decided that this sacred site could be so much more powerful and so much more relevant to everyone if the names of our fallen heroes could be inscribed here. Well in 2001 the Memorial was enhanced, the names added and I don’t think anyone disagrees that the power of this amazing place became something you could now touch. In 2002, President Steve Rothlein expanded our local law enforcement family to include the 71 officer who lost their lives in the Sept 11, 2001 attack and created our tribute to 911.

And now its 2006 and the 25th anniversary of our Memorial and next year glorious event moves to even better site just across the park.  Mike Gast a key guy in a group of so many who work to make this ceremony what it is and worked to build this structure and the new one you’ll see next year has described the new site as 80 feet in diameter raised 3 steps above the ground with 30 pieces of granite weighing over 26 tons. Unfortunately the beauty of the new site is such that my description would fall way short but it will include the monuments from this site and a feature that I think is very important to tonight’s message.   There will be a path of bricks with names of honorable retired law enforcement personnel from throughout Miami-Dade County. I want to credit that idea to the Miami Beach PD. The first time we visited their memorial which is beautiful and saw that they recognize their retired cops with plaques. And now POAT has found a way to do something similar here. And we hope having there own names here will keep our retired folks involved and bring them to the site.

At POAT we feel we have been sincere guardians of the spirits of these heroes and of the cherished memories of these brave survivors. The site and the ceremony have grown to become cornerstones of careers and lives. But there remains one thing that must grow to catch up. Although tonight the attendance is great it simply is not enough. I don’t mean it’s not enough because the seats aren’t all filled or because the fallen officers and their survivors deserve more. Of course those things are true but we all know the hearts of these survivors and they are always grateful for the recognition of their loved ones and they know the status they too have with of every police officer in this town.  But tonight it is those officers I am speaking of and to.

The thing that’s missing is cops, real cops sitting in these seats and thousands more. Because no matter your tenure, your assignment your experience or your accomplishments.  You can never know the nature of your own commitment, the depth of just what it means to be a real cop until the Memorial is a part of your life. You can never understand the concept of the law enforcement family and your place in it until you come to the Memorial. And of course I’m preaching to the choir because each of you is here. But it is you who will bring these others next year and these are the truths you need to share. The survivors we’ve heard from have affected us all. The moving accounts of their losses have touched us but the stories of their accomplishments inspired us. They have lived, married or remarried; they have had children or more children. They have started businesses and support groups. In many cases they continue the work their fallen officer began, and in every case they show a spirit that makes us all proud. Each year we meet these courageous folks and see the truth of our own lives. Toddlers become teen, teen’s young adults and then parents and parents grow old and even join their fallen heroes. A connection to something bigger than each of us gives all of us some measure of immortality. And this is the place to solidify that connection.  So when you leave here tonight make a promise to yourself to return next year with at least one other person. Bring the new person on your squad or the one that seems to be struggling with that age old cop question “is this all worth it.” Because this is where you discover if it’s worth it or not.

It’s funny in the place where the greatest sacrifices are expected the least compensation occurs. Soldiers, firefighters and police officers. None are paid like actors or ball players, but I think all of them feel a deep commitment and great sense of honor. Well this is where that commitment is strongest, and this is where honor lives. All of us know what is expected of a cop in this community and how tough it is to meet those expectations. When you come here you see why that bar is so high. Why membership in this club is so exclusive.

When you get to where I am with your law enforcement career behind you, then you can see how just touching someone special, can leave something special in you So tonight I’ll make a promise back. I’ll be here next year and I’ll bring someone new, just like I did tonight. Because even with 7,000 or so cops in this town and even with careers spanning 30 or 40 years, if you read Dr. Wilbank’s book you will amazed at  how many connections you’ll find between your life and the immortals on the Roll Call of Honor. But I can tell you that every memory involving this place or these people will be the ones that shape you as an individual and they will be the ones to define your career.

• Frank Searcy lived in Hialeah where I grew up and was the cousin of my friend MDPD Major Randy McGee. I was on scenes with Corky Curlette, Frank D’Azevedo and Tommy Hodges and later I lived near Franks Brother Tom and I met and worked with Tommy Hodges’ son Chris who wears his dad’s badge and carries his gun.
  

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• I worked off duty jobs with Victor Estefan at Miami Jai Ali in the 80’s.
  
  

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• I knew Cheryl Seiden and am still friends with her husband Mark. I went to training with Dave Strazalkowski and later took a class from his widow Debbie Geary who founded Concerns of Police Survivors.
  

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• Joey Martin worked for me and I worked for his dad an MDPD legend Lt. Larry Martin. Tommy Leis was the manager of the Pig Bowl teams that I played on and I rode with Ricky Wentlandt in the north end.
  
  

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• Evelyn Gort worked for me in 2 assignments and she and her husband Gus worked with me off duty at the stadium.
  

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• Bobby Vargas was the brother in law of Lt. Danny Llano probably THE driving forces behind all aspects of the Memorial. And Bobby and Roberto Calderon volunteered here at the Memorial site. So did Ruben Jones who rode on my platoon in the old North District and worked with me at the stadium.
  
  

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• Randy Kugler was a friend and he worked for me in Auto Theft. His widow Marilyn is the Treasurer of the POAT.

And after all these years, honoring one of my great pals, in my drawer is a tee shirt that says Steven Bauer “forever young". So you see, this is the place that connects us all, and every one you bring here will thank you for the rest of their lives.

And so do I.

Thank each of you for joining me tonight to honor these heroes and their amazing families.

Be safe….no new names on the wall and God Bless You All and God Bless America.

Frank Boni
Past President