4 SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
BY DEAN MOSES
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
On Saturday, Sept. 19, members
of the NYPD’s 104th Precinct,
elected officials, and local
spectators fl ocked to Mount Olivet
Cemetery in Maspeth for their fi rstever
memorial service on “Thank a
Police Offi cer Day.”
This procession celebrated the
lives of two fallen police officers,
dating back over 100 years. Despite
being deceased for a century, the
event was held to demonstrate New
York’s dedication to its fallen heroes,
no matter the extent of time passed.
A crowd of visitors gathered on the
windy morning to learn about lives
of Patrolmen Ale Swider and Robert
Henry Holmes.
Attendees made the small trek to
each gravesite where a color guard
stood to attention, their fl ags casting
long, swaying shadows while speakers
such as Juniper Park Civic Association
President Tony Nunziato and Police
Benevolent Association President
Patrick Lynch, honored the legacy
of the fallen officers. After which,
Newtown Historical President Christina
Wilkinson transported listeners
through time by reading news articles
from the period and told stories of the
offi cers’ exploits.
Patrolman Holmes worked in the
32nd Precinct in Harlem in the early
20th century. Holmes, a well-known,
well-respected fi gure, was the fi rst
black offi cer to be killed in the line of
duty. He was in pursuit of a burglar
when he died on August 6, 1917. His
counterpart also perished while in
service. Known aff ectionately as fl ash,
Ale Swider patrolled Central Park on
his red motorcycle in the early 1920s.
He died while on duty in a motorcycle
crash on November 2, 1923.
Once the speeches had commenced,
Nunziato and Wilkinson laid a wreath
at the foot of each monument to the
blast of trumpet calls and the unwavering
gaze of Queens elected offi cials,
including Councilman Robert Holden,
Assembly member Brian Barnwell,
and State Senator Joe Addabbo. The
ceremony was also joined by Vietnam
Veterans of America Queens Chapter
32, the Blue Knights Motorcycle club,
and Queens Borough President candidate
Joann Ariola.
Photos by Dean Moses
Maspeth remembers fallen police offi cers
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