Memorial honors 8 fallen Cook Co. copsMonday, March 29, 2010
Chicago Sun-Times
by Mary Houlihan
Bill Christian doesn't remember much about his father, Frank J.
Christian, a Cook County sheriff's police officer who was killed in the
line of duty Oct. 19, 1941.
All he has is a cherished memory of a toy fire truck, a gift from his
dad, and a photo of his father in uniform.
"We're quite honored that this is happening," Christian said, from
his Brookfield home. "We never expected anything, so this is quite a
surprise."
At 11 a.m. today Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, joined by families of
the officers, will unveil the memorial in the auditorium of Triton
College in River Grove. It will be permanently displayed at the entrance
to the Cook County sheriff's police headquarters in Maywood.
"It is an honor to be able to pay these men the proper respect they
so richly deserve," Dart said in a statement. "Their families deserve to
know how much we appreciate their sacrifice and the place each of the
officers will forever hold within our department."
The cherrywood cabinet features a rendering of each officer on an 8-
by 10-inch magnesium plate, along with a description of the
circumstances of the officer's death. A sheriff's patch and star also
will be placed in each memorial.
The display is the culmination of years of research and outreach to
surviving family members in order to insure that the eight officers
received proper recognition.
"All of these men truly deserve this honor," Christian said. "Their
sacrifice was great and it now will be remembered."
