 | Police Officer Gary R. Stroud
St. Charles Police Department
Missouri
Monday, October 24, 1977 |
"The Badge"
He starts his shift each day
To respond to calls unknown.
He drives a marked patrol car.
A police officer he is known.
He's paid by the citizens' taxes
To make it safe on the streets.
But he usually has a second job
'Cause a waitress has his salary beat.
Now he doesn't know a holiday
'Cause he works all year round.
And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive
At his home he cannot be found.
He's cursed and assaulted often,
The one whos blood runs blue.
He seldom ever gets a thanks,
To some he's just a fool.
His friends are always other cops
'Cause people just don't understand
That underneath his badge and gun,
He's just another man.
He knows there might not be a tomorrow
In this world of drugs and crime.
And he gets so mad at the court system
'Cause the crooks don't get any time.
And each day when he leaves for work,
He prays to God above.
Please bring me home after my shift
So I can see the ones I love.
But tonight he stops a speeding car,
He's alone down this ole' highway.
It's just a little traffic infraction.
He does it everyday.
Well, he walks up to the driver's window,
And his badge is shining bright.
He asked the guy for a driver's license,
When a shot rang through the night.
Yes, the bullet hit its mark,
Striking the officer in the chest.
But the Department's budget didn't buy
Each officer a bullet-proof vest.
So he lay on the ground bleeding.
His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red.
And briefly he thought of his loved ones
'Cause in a moment the officer was dead.
In the news they told the story
Of how this officer had died.
And some who listened cared less,
But those who loved him cried.
Well, they buried him in uniform
With his badge pinned on his chest.
He even had his revolver,
He died doing his best.
Written By:
David L. Bell
Sergeant
Richland County Sheriff's Department
Columbia, South Carolina
Used with Special Permission of the Author
Copyright © 1999 - All Rights Reserved
and may not be duplicated without permission Investigator David L Bell
Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC
2007-12-10
Gone but not forgotten, thank you Officer for you service to the people of Missouri.
Tell my dad I said hello and i miss him.
R.I.P. Detective
Greene County Sheriff's Dept.
2007-10-22
It has been 29 years since you left us..........
I still think about you every single day.
Your grandchildren are growing fast............
I love you. Heather Stroud Bickford
Daughter
2006-11-08
May you Rest safe with Our Lord and may your family be ever blessed by Him.
2006-10-24
There isnt a day that doesnt go by that i dont think about Gary. Even after my sister and him divorced he stayed in our family. He is always with us even now.. Cindy Murphy Nelson
sister in law
2006-05-01
I don't remember much about my Dad because I was 6 when he was killed. I do know that I love him very much and still miss him. I think about him everyday. My two daughters will never know him, except through stories and pictures. The same is true for my brother's two daughters and my half-sister's newborn son. This is how we learned a lot about our Dad. Sadly, my Mom passed away in 1996 so she will never see her grandchildren either. I hope they are in Heaven together looking down on us, knowing that they are loved. Heather Stroud Bickford
Daughter
2006-04-30
Officer Stroud,
On today, the 28th anniversary of your murder, I would like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of St. Charles.
R.I.P.
Anonymous
2005-10-24
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