In carrying on over a century of tradition, the department’s first true Honor Guard was finally formed in late 1987. Under the command of Sergeant James “Jay” Palmer, the six-member squad also included Officers J. Christopher Neville, James Peterson, Jon Shepard, Robert Richter and Thomas Miller. Their new uniform consisted of French-blue shirts and Navy-blue trousers bloused into black jump boots. The boots themselves were ladder-laced in white and featured high-gloss toe and heel caps. In place of the eight-point hat, was a blue grey, pinched peak campaign cover. Leather gear was of a basket weave pattern, finished in a low-gloss black.
This new and first Honor Guard was born out of singular event that took place earlier that year. On May 30, 1987, the Wilmington Police Officers Memorial was dedicated at the Wilmington Police Station. The memorial itself was a project of both the department and the fraternal Wilmington Police Association. During the months leading up to Police Memorial Week of that year, an effort was undertaken to memorialize the service of the town’s past police officers. That effort turned into a success on Memorial Day Weekend. On that Sunday afternoon, the new monument was unveiled by then Chief of Police Bobby Stewart and his predecessor, retired Chief Paul Lynch. Turning out for the event was nearly the entire department. However, one aspect of the event became immediately noticeable. Despite having a large number of officers present, there was no police Honor Guard. Flag presentations and rifle guard duties were instead carried out by local Veteran organizations. While the department was honored to have such a presence, many felt moving forward, there should be a similar police organization. It was therefore from this event that Chief Stewart later authorized Sergeant Palmer to organize, equip and field a dedicated Honor Guard unit. Sadly, the unit’s first public appearance, much like that of the current unit, was for a tragic incident. On October 21, 1987, the Wilmington Police Honor Guard gathered for the funeral of Officer Joseph Morgan. A few days previous, the eighteen-year veteran of the department had been killed in a car crash in New Hampshire. Upon the return of Officer Morgan to Wilmington, the Honor Guard took watch over his casket at the wake and performed escort and flag duties at his funeral.
Throughout the next many years, the Honor Guard was front and center as the ceremonial representative to the department and the town. However, it was in 1992 that the unit assumed the sad task of paying respects to its founding officer. Upon the tragic and sudden death of Jay Palmer that year, the Honor Guard gathered to lay to rest one of their own. Throughout the 1990s the guard was expanded with additional officers and the uniform was modified to further enhance its dress appearance. The campaign cover was withdrawn from service, replaced with a crushed style, peaked cover. The bloused trousers and white laced boots were also withdrawn in favor of black laces and boot cut trousers. A three-quarter length French-blue blouse coat was also added as year-round outerwear. In 2000 the now larger and reimagined Honor Guard took part in the retirement ceremony of their founding Chief, Bobby Stewart. In 2001, they participated in the opening of the Wilmington Memorial Public Safety Building. Further enhancements to the unit came with the addition of a bagpiper in 2002. However, like with most organizations, attrition and wear began to take its toll.
Twenty years after its initial formation, the Honor Guard had changed dramatically both in appearance and in composition. Through passing, retirement and resignation no original members remained. Despite these changes, the group’s newer officers remained enthusiastic. However, the unit needed re-equipping and restyling. The French-blue outfit, although of sharp appearance was thought by many to overly resemble the dress uniform of the Massachusetts State Police. Furthermore, most of the uniforms had been passed along to the unit’s follow-on replacement officers many times over. In doing so, they had become altered, worn and faded to the point of losing their professional appearance. By 2010, ceremonial events were more often attended by officers in the department’s Class A uniform than that of the Honor Guard. Just a few years later, the original uniform was shelved for good. It was then out of another ceremonial event that the current Honor Guard was born.
On April 18, 2013, Officer Sean Collier of the MIT Police Department was killed in the line of duty by the Boston Marathon bombers. In September of 2015, Officer Collier was honored by his hometown with the opening of a playground built in his name. The playground’s dedication on the shore of Silver Lake was attended by many Wilmington Police Officers, amongst them were Officers Eric Palmer (son of the late Jay Palmer) and Paul Chalifour. Although dressed in their Class A blouses both officers thought such an event and future events and ceremonies deserved more. From there they sought approval from Chief Michael Begonis to research and create specifications for a new Honor Guard. Of first priority to the officers was the creation of an appearance that paid homage to the officers and traditions of the past. Upon reviewing their proposal and seeing mock-ups, Chief Begonis, without hesitation, authorized the formation of a new Wilmington Police Honor Guard. Once fully equipped and staffed, the reemergent unit was eager and ready to represent the department. The new unit, in its 2016 inaugural formation, consisted of Sergeants David McCue Jr. and Christopher Ahern along with Officers Ronald Alpers, Michael Patterson, John Delorey, Daniel Furbush, Scott Dunnett, Michael Johnson, Eric Palmer, Brian Moon, Kevin Cavanaugh, Rafael Cruz, Brian Stickney and Paul Chalifour.
In May of 2016, the new guard deployed publicly for the first time to the wake and funeral of Officer Ron Tarentino of the Auburn Police Department. However, from that sad and tragic event, the new Honor Guard began its duties. The list of subsequent ceremonies is almost too numerous to accurately count. Throughout each year following its inception, Memorial Day and Veterans Day services, National Night Out events, police academy graduations, Special Olympics opening ceremonies, Little League parades, war memorial dedications, retirements and awards ceremonies became the normal and expected duties of the unit. In addition, since its rebirth, Detective Ronald Alpers assumed duties as a trumpeter while Sergeant Matthew Stavro was welcomed into the ranks as the unit’s new bagpiper.
Under sorrowful circumstances though, the unit has also continued to deploy to line of duty deaths and local dignitary funerals as well, traveling around Massachusetts and New England in the process. However, be it a solemn or celebratory event, the unit and each of its members continue to embody the traditions of the past while aspiring to create new traditions for the future, all in the name of Honor.
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