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The Thin Blue Line stretches globally
n BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
In the largest massacre of law enforcement officers in history, Jan. 25, 2015, 44 Filipino elite Special Action Force Unit members were killed in the line of duty during a 12-hour firefight while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on two terrorists. It was a tragedy not only in the Philippines, but for law enforcement across the world. And for Ocean Township Local 371 member Hermogenes Dennis Jarin III, a Filipino-American who migrated to the U. S. in February 1985 at the age of 19, the Unity Tour provided a way to honor those 44.
Jarin approached the Chapter 10 executive board to see if he would be able to ride for those officers, and to say they embraced the idea would be an understatement.
“ They welcomed the idea with open arms and actually made bracelets with the 44 officers’ names on them,” said Jarin who also noted that Chapter 10 officers volunteered to ride wearing those bracelets. They also offered Jarin the opportunity to make a speech at the Hamilton State Police headquarters to share the story.
“ Thirty-one years ago I migrated from the Philippines to the U. S. and since then I’ ve been living my dream,” he commented.“ Even though I’ m now an American citizen, my Filipino heritage remains in my heart.”
Jarin described the incident in detail, and closed with a final statement in his native tongue:“ Maraming Salamat Po” or“ Thank You, thank you for this opportunity.”
“ If I didn’ t write down what I wanted to say, I wouldn’ t have been able to stay composed,” Jarin later admitted.“ Just because of the situation and how somber it was, and how heartfelt it was that they asked me along with the( Chapter 10) president to put the wreath up at the site they’ re doing the ceremony. It’ s an awesome thing the way I was welcomed by the chapter.”
On a future trip to the Philippines to visit his parents and siblings, Jarin intends to bring the bracelets worn during the Unity Tour and present them to the families of the 44 heroes.
“ We’ re all brothers and sisters in blue and that’ s how the Chapter 10 executive board saw it and why they said we’ re going to honor them,” emphasized Jarin, who also rode the tour carrying challenge coins he made to honor the 44 as well as a Philippine flag he attached to the rear of his bicycle.
“ People of Filipino heritage took notice( of the flag) including the chief of the Sacramento Sheriff’ s Department, who worked in the Philippines for a while,” Jarin recalled.“ I met so many good people along the way who were not aware of what happened to the 44. But it affects all of us.” d
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5. 6. 7. 8. www. njcopsmagazine. com ■ JUNE 2016 33