Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Happy Fathers Day Mike.
Sitting here, Saturday night thinking about you as I watch Heartbreak Ridge staring Clint Eastwood. We probably can't count how many times you watched it, especially when it came out way back in 1986. Tomorrow will be a rough day to get through as it's Fathers Day. I'll be with your two brothers and their kids so it will be a busy day. I took the boys out to visit you for Fathers Day lthe other day and they helped me clean up and left a card for you. Please watch over them for me as I know they are still having a rough time growing up without you and there is only so much I can do. Funny how 30 years difference in age can slow a guy down, I'm not 30 anymore, wish I was. Cullen asks question after question, like you use to do at his age. Some I have answaers for and others I don't. We will all be thinking about you tomorrow, continue to watch over everyone for me. Love and Miss you.

Love,
Dad

June 20, 2010

I have never met you M.P. but I have been around your family,(mostly your brothers John and Bob), ever since Our Lord has brought you up to take care of the Heavenly gates, along with my buddy O'C. You are not forgotten, he is not forgotten and never will be.

Thank you for looking down on us and smiling!

PJK, aka-Tiny

Tiny
CPD - Fraternal Brother

June 12, 2010

Thankfully, the Month of May has finally ended and all the memorials are over for another year. Now it will be the holidays to contend with, but then again, we don't need a special day to make missing you any worse than it is. Maybe if I told a Michael story from the past it will help.

Michael Story:

Your brothers were talking about this the other day. I know when I was a young boy, all the kids in the neighborhood would all walk over to the local neighborhood store for some snacks. Since none of us had a job and in my case, no weekly allowance, there were a only a few ways to get the money to purchase the treats. Maybe running an errand for someone and they would give you a quarter, etc. In my case, I had an older brother who worked and we shared a bedroom together. He'd always lay on his bed and watch TV with him pants on and spare change would fall out and onto the bed. I'd pick up the change and use that. If there was none there the last stop was my Mother's purse. I know all kids have done this, sneak into Mom's purse and grab a quarter. Well, due to inflation, a quarter would not buy you anything when you and your brothers were younger. So, it graduated up to a dollar each. Here comes the story. One day your two older brothers tell you to hit Mom's purse so the three of you could go to the store. Three dollars would be great in this situation. You went to your Mother's purse, opened it and completed the task and returned to your brothers. They asked if your mission was successful. You told them it was and produced a Twenty dollar bill. Both of your brothers went ballistic screaming at you because of the large amount you took. Your answer to them was, "What did you expect me to do, she only had a twenty dollar bill in her purse, nothing else." That statement made them crazier, like your mother would not know it was missing, her last twenty dollars. To this day I don't know if you put it back or if you guys went to the store and brought back the change. Mom doesn't remember so it was either returned or the change was. Mom always knew you were sneaking money here and there and I'm sure my mother did too. Things older brothers make the younger brother do seems to be universarl as I'm sure others can tell stories about their older brothers.

I've been keeping your gravesite along with your grandparents looking like the tomb of the unknown soliders. It is the greenest, no weeds and is spotless. If anyone is looking for your grave,all they have to do is stop at the road and look for the little spot in the Valor section that is cut, and green.

Take care, we all love and miss you. Watch over everyone for me.

Love,
Dad

June 7, 2010

Mike...May God continue to Bless you as you rest in His Eternal Peace...and know that you are not forgotten...and for your military service in defense of our country...and our freedoms...you are remembered...and prayed for...on this Memorial Day too.

Keep watching over your dear family...they miss you each and every day.

You...and your family...are always in my daily prayers.

Anita L. Culosi
sister of NYS Trpr Salvatore J. Embarrato eow 7/6/61

May 31, 2010

Mike, thinking of you on Memorial Day. Today, as far as television, would be one of your favorite days as they run all the war movies today, all day. We all know what a war movie buff you were. We will be stopping out at the cemetery today to pay you a visit. They had put up American flags on all the Vets in your section, you had yours long before the others as your Aunt had stopped out there and left one for you and grandpa. She beat me to it this year. Take care, love and miss you. Keep watch over everyone for me.

Love,
Dad

May 31, 2010

Michael I had hoped to meet your Dad this year at the National Police Officers Memorial service, but I was in the hospital and did not make it (maybe next year). I so admire his love for you and all the fallen hero's which he never forgets to recognize at the appropriate times. May I learn from the great example he has set for the rest of us to follow and may we be half as good as he is in remembering. I know from the postings you are greatly missed, but will never be forgotten.

James Sheppard
Father of Sgt. Jason L. Sheppard EOW 12/7/06

May 27, 2010

Hey Flash ~

Just wanted to stop in and let you know I was thinking of you and to thank you for the reflection on Jesse's page. I hope you are doing well.......although I know deep inside you really aren't.

Take care. We should talk soon.
Much love,
Carin

Carin E. Sollman
widow of Jesse E Sollman, EOW 3/25/05

May 22, 2010

Mike, Another good Chicago Police Officer was lost yesterday. He went to Iraq twice only to be killed in the streets here. Please welcome him. Love, Mom

Carol Gordon
Mother

May 21, 2010

Dear Mr. Gordon,

It is always such a comfort to go on Matt's page and see that you have left a note. We lost our sons so close together that I feel a special connection to you and that you understand more than most what it means to lose such a precious child/son/man. Our whole universe spins on a different axis now. Thank you for never forgetting.

With love,

Linda Rittenhouse, Matt's Mom Always

May 20, 2010

I wanted to stop by your site and let you and your Dad know that we too are thinking of you and your family. We will never forget the scarifice that you made on August the 8th 2004 or the sacrifice your family has to make everyday without you here to share it with them.
Bob thank you so much for writing on my sons page, I always check his page daily just to see his picture, and just to see if anyone has written, it's always nice to see your name pop-up. You are so right in saying that a parent never ever gets over the feelings of losing a child, those scars, and the pain we deal with everyday. We will always remember our boys till the day we die. But I know in my heart we will see our boys smiling faces again one day, God just has a bigger plan for us.
Thanks again Bob for writing on my sons site, I always love reading what you write.

Connie Barker F.W.B. Fl
Mother of Clint Walker Prattville P.D. E.O.W. 1-14-04

May 17, 2010

Dear Michael:

We hide our aching hearts behind our smiles, attempting to not let the world around us know the depth of our grief over the loss of our sons. You are a hero and will forever be remembered. However, you were a son long before you became a police officer just like my son. There will forever be an empty space in our lives where you both once were. To your mom and dad I can only say I know and feel your pain and want to wish you peace. Thank you Michael's Dad for your lovely comments on Matthew's ODMP page. I think of you often with much sadness that the loss of our beloved sons has brought us together. It is so true, Bob, nothing - not even time - can heal the pain of losing a child.

My heartfelt regards as we hold our angels deep within our hearts,

Jane

Jane Melchionda
Mother of Fallen Officer Matthew Melchionda

May 17, 2010

Michael,
Thinking of you and your family during Police week. Thank you for a job well done. You will never be forgotten and may God give your family a special peace this week.

Tammy Persin
Mother of Fallen Military Police Officer
Pfc Brian Thomas Gleason 8/9/2000

Anonymous

May 15, 2010

Today is Police Officer Memorial Day. I don't need a special day to take a moment to think about you as that happens every day. Your brother John is in Washington with the Chicago contingent honoring two more fallen Chicago Officers today and I know he will be stopping at your name on the wall. Keep watching over the Gordon Clan for me, we love and miss you.

Love,
Dad

May 15, 2010

Dear Mike...you...and your family...will never be forgotten by me...and as this is Police Week...tonight... when I light a vigil candle...in honor of my brother...I will also light one...in honor...and remembrance of you too.

God bless you for your service. You are in my prayers.

Anita L. Culosi
sister of NYS Tpr. Salvatore J. Embarrato eow 7/6/61

May 13, 2010

Thank you for your service to our country, Michael!
I join many others in remembering you and in keeping your family in thought and prayer this Police Week.
Praying that the Lord gives His peace to your family as they remember the blessing that your life was to them.

Laurie
Family of SD Deputy Bill Davis EOW 11/3/2003

May 12, 2010

Mike,
May has finally arrived. I really don't care for May as it is nothing but Law Enforcement Memorials. I will attend Riverside's hopefully this year. Mom is down in Florida so I'm Bacheloring it for another week. Sure his quiet around here, lol. I have a number of projects to do while she is gone so that will keep me busy.
I was a guest speaker last week for a Fire Service class called, "Organizing Tragedy." The class teaches Fire and Police Departments to prepare for a possible Line of Duty Death and also non duty related and retiree deaths of both fire and police officers. I give my talk on things they can do to help the families and what they should never forget, such as the parents. It seems that some people forget that these heroes that are killed just didn't have a wife or husband, they also had parents that brought them into the world and love them and when all the ponce and circumstance is over, everyone goes on with their lives but the loss of a child is forever and the parents are left behind. I remember the little thing that 3 police officers did for me at the funeral home for me the first night of your wake. You belonged to two brotherhoods, police and Army Airborne. You did not have a pair of Airborne wings on your police uniform so I went out into the sitting area where there were hundreds of police officers and I asked if anyone was Army Airborne. I gentle giant of a police officer approached me and said, "Sir, I was." I asked him if he would pin the wings on your uniform jacket, he said it would be his honor. I walked back in to the chapel and he came slowly marching up the main isle to your casket with two other police officers. He approached you, slowly saluted you as did the other two officers. He pinned the Airborne wings to your jacket, all saluted very slowly again, did an about face and marched out of the chapel. To some people this may not have been a big thing, but to me it was and I will remember it and appreciate it for the rest of my life. I explained to this group taking the class that this was a "Little Thing" that made a father proud. I end by showing them the DVD of you growing up, your entire life from baby to father and police officer with the song in the background, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. Hard for me to get through it but I want to place a face, a real person, to the class or people that I speak with, when I talk about you. Well, I've rambled on enough. Take care of everyone for me as I'm slowly winding down in life, getting old quicker than I ever thought I would. I've come to realize that my Dad was in better shape than me at this age, but you know how grampa loved to work all the time. Love and miss you.

Love,
Dad

May 11, 2010

Michael, Yesterday was Mother's Day - first we went to the cemetery then we went to your brother Bob's who had the family over for a BBQ. It was nice to be with family but you are sorely missed on each occasion.

Your brothers and sons played running bases and it reminded me of all the times you would play with them during a family outing. The only change is yours sons are young men now and your brothers are getting slower. Even Uncle John and Uncle Joe threw a few balls around.

Leaving for Florida today with Debbie J. for some R&R. Dad really needs some R&R too but he's not a Florida person. Going to the Policemans Hall of Fame in Titusville but not for their anniversary.

Love you - Mom

Carol Gordon
Mother

May 10, 2010

Michael,
Remembering your family today on Mothers Day and thinking of your mother in a special way. I know she is thinking about so many precious memories of you through the years and how proud she is of you.
Tammy Persin
Mother of Military Police Officer
Pfc Brian Thomas Gleason 8/9/2000

Anonymous

May 9, 2010

Officer Gordon, I will be thinking of you and your entire family as May 15th arrives and we attend the memorials in your honor as well as all the fallen heroes... You will not be forgotten. Even though I will not be in DC this year, I will be in Titusville and will look your name up on the wall there. Thank you for your service, dedication and protection. Say hello to my girl for me.

Deb Azure
Mother of Deputy Renee Danell Azure
EOW 08/06/02

Anonymous

May 8, 2010

Mike - Saturday was a busy day. First the Run to Remember for the CPD Memorial. Your brothers' organized their own team. (I think close to thirty people were recruited for Team Gordon). There was a total of 4,000 runners for the 5K, the most yet. John actually trained and I have to give him credit at almost age 41. Your son Cullen came in 4th for Team Gordon. Malik helped Uncle Bob move along as he supposedly threw out his back??. They all miss you very much. I know you would have blown past everyone with those long legs of yours.

Then came the Cubs Rooftop, they won 6th year in a role. I'm sure you were helping them along.

Your Dad represented the both of us at these events as I've been down with a virus for the past week. You will never be forgotten by us.

Going to the Policemans Hall of Fame, it's their 50 year anniversay for honoring the fallen in Titusville, FL in about a week - beautiful place. Love, Mom

Carol Gordon
Mother

May 5, 2010

To the family of Officer Gordon,
Thank you for writing on my fathers page. Thank you for your message and my heart goes out to your family. I will keep Aug 8th in my heart and say a prayer for all of you on that day. Rest in peace Officer Gordon
Sarah Lamonaco

Sarah Lamonaco
Daughter of Trooper Lamonaco

April 28, 2010

In a few weeks I will be going to Springfield again for the Police Memorial. I will be thinking of you and your family. I will also be going to Washington for the National Police Memorial. This will be the first time I will see your name on the memorial there. That will be sad for me to see. You are missed.

Retired Sgt. K. Brozynski
CPD

April 20, 2010

Mike, Thinking of you this Easter and remembering past Easter's. Cullen turned 11 yesterday but we celebrated today since everyone was going to be at John's.

Love you always and forever.

Carol Gordon
Mother

April 4, 2010

Michael,
Thinking of you and your family on this Easter holiday. I know your family and children miss and love you so much. I know you share this day in spirit with them.
HAPPY EASTER MICHAEL
Tammy Persin
Mother of Fallen Military Police Officer
Pfc Brian Thomas Gleason 8/9/2000

Anonymous

April 4, 2010

Happy Easter Mike. The family with gather at your brother's house and I know we will be thinking about you. The little ones will have their Easter Egg Hunt and I will video tape it like always. When the day comes that I join you, everyone will find out that there are very few video shots of me as I'm always behind the camera, but thats okay. Today was your son Cullen's 11th Birthday. He's having a really hard time right now as I know he wonders why this had to happen to him and that he is growing up without you. Really breaks my heart that both of the boys are involved in sports and you aren't here to give them advice. I try the best I can, but I would have been the worlds worst soccer player because of not being able to really touch anyone, now Hockey, thats a different story. Continue to watch over the boys and also your two brothers. I think of you every day and miss you every day also.

Love
Dad

April 3, 2010