Unluckiest Day of Year Comes Day Early

Last week, Friday the 13th came one day earlier. It came on on a Thursday, April 12th.

For that day will forever be etched in the minds and memories of all of us who are old enough to remember. For the rest of our lives, Thursday April 12th, 2012 will be a day that we all wish we could set the hands of time back and start over. A day that brought and to our seacoast.

A day that started off like any other Spring Day, would end in complete shock and numbness. It all started with the accident that after being struck by a motor vehicle. Matt Denis Jr, a much loved and adored Special Needs student at on the Seacoast, was crossing the street on his bike, when he was hit by a motorist at around 3 in the afternoon. Matt who has been around almost every sporting event at the High School in the last few years, was airlifted to Boston.

The tweets started coming in shortly after Matt's accident.

Our daughter kept us abreast of the latest information on Matt's condition as the minutes and the hours ticked off. Then around 6PM another story began to unfold in Greenland, a town that borders North Hampton, was in the midst of a police shoot out.

I was at the Legion Post at an E-board meeting when the calls started
coming in. It seemed almost impossible to comprehend at first. 3 Police officers shot. Then it was four police officers shot. And then 5. Five police officers shot in Greenland?

What the hell was happening?

And so began the never ending bits of information that would soon become
a night that never seemed to end. When the news of both the Greenland shooting and the updates on Matt Denis came in, we hung on every tweet and every bit of news that came out of Greenland, and Matt's condition. Seeing the live coverage on TV and recognizing several of my friends who are police officers running back and forth on the screen I got a knot in my stomach.

When the word came out that one of the shooting victims was Greenland's Chief Mike Maloney, a bunch us stared off into space. How could this be happening? Chief Maloney was a ARMY veteran who joined the police force in 1986. He was a Winnacunnet High School graduate who played football at WHS.

The same school that Matt Denis goes to. He was a North Hampton police officer for many years, before becoming Chief at Greenland for the last 12 years.

I had spoken to Mike many times when the surf was big and the vehicles were parked all over the North Hampton and Rye line. He was a good guy. I had seen him at Joe's Meat Shoppe. I would see him around town. After all, this seacoast community is small.

Everyone knows everyone.

As commander of the local Veterans post, I make a point out of acknowledging all the Police and Firefighters at every town we perform our Memorial Day and Veterans Day services. Especially now in this post 9-11 world we live in. I have what I would consider, many friends in the local police departments and fire departments as well. We are one tight community. It is after all, not just about surfing for most of us. We all live and work here. We are all one community.

And then the news slowly filtered out. Chief Mike Maloney was KIA.

He was slated to retire on Friday April 20th. A surprise retirement party
was being planned for him the last few weeks. It all seemed surreal. Chief Maloney was gone. God have mercy on his soul. And then my mind thought about other 4 officers. I know a bunch of the guys who serve on the SWAT team. My knot in my stomach got tighter. I needed to know who else was down. Who was in critical condition, who, where, and why did this all happen? And I know I was not alone.

The whole seacoast was glued to the tweets, TVs, and cellphones.

By 11PM I found out who the was. I knew him as well. I really felt sick now. He was not a close friend. Hardly. He was the son of a local businessman who did work for me. Someone that owned a local print shop, and who did a bunch of flyers for the Legion as well as many other local seacoast businesses.

He passed away in January of 2010. That's when I met the man who would become the person that none of us will ever forget. He was upset at the passing of his father. I distinctly recall trying to comfort him by telling him to find faith and to believe in something higher than this world.

But I remember it very well, he was having none of it. He simply was not believing.

No matter what I said to him, he was not believing in any of what I had to offer. And I left it at that. I did not know him well enough to continue to reach out to him. I think I only spoke with him a couple of times. It was always of his late father. I did enjoy his father's company. I think anyone who knew his dad would say the same. I had seen him a few other times after his father's passing as a volunteer firefighter standing with the others, at our Memorial day and Veterans Day services. Then I had not seen or
heard of him, until last week.

From what I could gather, his recent troubles was all about drugs.

I don't want to come off as some holier than thou preacher, or some sober talking reformed addict or alcoholic, because I am neither. I am however, convinced that the GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM and the GLOBAL WAR ON DRUGS go hand in hand. I have spoken with many Veterans who have experienced Firefights with the Taliban in Afghanistan, in the poppy fields. Poppies make opium. And heroin. Heroin finds it's way to America and ends up destroying lives of our youth and beyond.

The war on Terror is in part, being financed through Drug Sales.

Drug dealers are helping the bad guys in the war on Terror. What happened last week in Greenland was all about drugs. 7 people were shot last week. 3 of them died. One was a man who dedicated his entire life to helping people. To serve and protect . Chief Mike Maloney was a hero. The reports started to become clearer. Mike had .

Mike who was a week away from retiring. Mike who was a husband. A father. A new Grandfather. A friend and fellow officer to hundreds on the seacoast, was killed in the line of duty while saving others.

Mike Maloney died a hero.

Exactly a week to the day he was gunned down over drugs, a was held here in Hampton, at the same school he played football, at the same school that young Matt Denis Jr loves and attends, and it was by far, the most moving and awe inspiring Memorial Service I have ever witnessed. Thousands of people attended the service and the procession that preceded the service.

I stood with my fellow Veterans and saluted as the thousands of police and firefighters marched by. The hundreds of motorcycles. And hundreds of color guards, with their flags rippling in the breeze. And finally, the hearse that carried Mike and the vehicles that carried his family.

The streets were lined with thousands of civilians holding flags. There were flags and signs all over the seacoast. Yellow ribbons and plants were everywhere. It was something I had only seen on TV when other cities and towns honor their fallen police and or firefighters. I had never seen it in person. Until now.

Having it here in our town was something to see. If you were there, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

There was surf that morning. I went down at first light to shoot.

The contrast of shooting the surf, and knowing what I would be witnessing just a few hours later, was not lost on me. I watched as the perfect green waves rose up out of the morning fog, and spilled over onto our beaches.
I watched as black clad wet suited bodies paddled out, and into the line-up. I thought about what was going on just a mile or two away.

The men and women preparing for Chief Maloney's Memorial service. I thought about the families and friends of Mike. I thought about his fellow officers. I thought about my friends who are Police officers and how hard this day was going to be.

And as I did, I would look up and instinctively aim my camera and take another surf photo just as I do every week. I secretly thanked those who wear the uniform of the local police and firefighters. They protect us day in and day out. I was very much aware of the contrast of the surf in front of me and the service that would start in a few hours. And once again, the knot in my stomach came back.

The procession was impressive, but the service at the High School was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Hundreds of thousands of Police and civilians. Governor John Lynch, Attorney General Eric Holder, Judges, and police officers all spoke. And his younger brother Tim also gave a moving eulogy. And the thing that struck me the most throughout the whole service, was just how quiet it was at the stadium.

I have spent many a day and night at Alumni Field over the years watching my kids play sports there, and watching other events. And it was always loud. I mean always loud. I coached youth sports and we would have our games there as well, and again, that place was always rocking.

But this day, you could hear a pin drop. It's true. It was such a moving tribute.

I don't think, nor would I want to, ever witness something quite like that again. Because it would have to be something equally as tragic. And believe me, we don't need another day like that. In fact, if this was the last one I ever attended that would suit me just fine. I did leave the field that day with a new profound knowledge about many things.

First and foremost, I learned some things about Mike Maloney that I did not know prior to this service. And I learned a bit more about loyalty and respect. Seeing how the police and others came out by the thousands to pay their final respects to a true bona fide hero, has left me feeling good about this community. I know that evil lurks out there. I've always known that.

And I guess I've always known that there are more good people doing good things in this world, than there are bad people, doing bad. Seeing what this community and beyond did for their fallen brother. And what that meant to Mike's family and colleagues, made me feel better about life in general.

I took that good feeling home with me. I said prayers for Mike Maloney's family. I said a few prayers for the other wounded officers and their families. I said prayers for the Matt Denis family too, and then, as if on cue, I went surfing.

And yes... I felt good. My mantra of "Surfing Healing all Wounds" was there. And it was working again. I don't know if this means anything, but
I did catch the wave of the day and it was my very first wave.
This according to others who were sitting with me out in the line-up. 'Dude that was the wave of the day..." I just smiled and nodded. I was thankful for all the good I have in my life.

That wave was heaven sent. Life was good again.

Now for some of my Weekly Global Observances:

Dick Clark passed away this week. Dick Clark was an ICON to end all Icons. You all know who he is. A legend who broke all kinds of barriers. American bandstand was huge in it's day. Talking HUGE. And his infamous New Year's Eve gigs over the decades...Dick Clark. May you REST IN PEACE Dick. Hand Salute.

Now come on. This whole secret service deal is getting a little racy. I mean come on. Are you kidding me? You guys don't know enough to stay away from prostitutes when the boss is coming to town? You're that worked up? That's crazy. I mean it's entertaining for sure to hear about, but fellas really? Really?

The Bruins might be in trouble. They are now down 3-2 in the Best of 7 against the Capitols. By tonight they could be done. How is that possible? I was just getting ready for some play-off Bruins Hockey. Come on you guys. Pull this thing together and get it straightened out. We need to go a little deeper than this. Now come on...we NEED THE BIG BAD ASS BRUINS to step up and put these Caps back down to the capitol where they should watch the rest of the season.

GO BRUINS!!