Flower Power
Local 23 shows support, reverence and a commitment
to carry on a legacy of honor
n BY LISA ARCELLA
For many, Memorial Day has evolved into a holiday that
launches the beginning of summer – or is a time to get a great
deal on an appliance or car – but members of New Brunswick’s
Local 23 have always used this occasion to remember those who
have served the country and community and since have passed
on.
For the past 51 years, retired and active duty officers have
gathered on the Friday before Memorial Day to place a flower
and an American flag on more than 150 graves in or around New
Brunswick.
This year, the flower detail honored two State Troopers who
died in the line of duty and Port Authority police officer James
Lynch, who died at the World Trade Center on 9/11, along with
many others remembered that day.
Among the volunteers was Retired Lieutenant Gary Yukovic,
who has been coming out for the annual event for the past 40
years. The PBA purchases all the flowers and the flags, removes
the old ones placed the year before and then replaces each with
a new one. Local 23 President Peter Maroon says that some of
the graves they adorn date back to the early 1900s.
“We had more volunteers this year to help us than ever be-
fore,” he says. “We had 20 guys come out. We are trying to get the
younger guys involved so there is a much better turnout. We are
pushing them to show them that this is not just a day job. You
have to honor those who came before you.”
Even State PBA President Patrick Colligan planted a flower on
the grave of an officer from his native Franklin Township, who
died in the 1960s and is buried at Saint Peters Cemetery in New
Brunswick.
In the early days on the job, Maroon rarely had a personal
connection to the graves he adorned but today, after 20 years on
the job, the experience is a lot more personal.
“When I first started this, I didn’t know any of the names on
the graves,” he explains. “But now I have put flowers on the
64
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ JUNE 2017
graves of many of the officers I have worked with. The longer
you stay on the job, the more you know the names of people that
have passed. Then, if there is a parent or grandparent buried at
one of the three cemeteries, we will also place flowers and flags
there. Memorial Day is always a somber holiday and so it helps
to remember why we are doing it and why we are there.”
He also adds that many of the working officers take the day off
to participate, and it’s usually a chance to bond with many of the
retired officers who have come before them.
“Last year, we had someone who had been putting out flow-
ers for 50 years, and we had him with an officer who just got
hired,” Maroon explains. “The retired officers told all kinds of
stories about what these cops we were placing the flags on did,
funny stories about them and basically described the real per-
son behind the names we were seeing. It’s a really nice thing.
“The meaning of the day has been lost for some people,” he