I took off the last two days where my wife, 83 year old father and I drove down to Miami to visit my sister and her husband in my beat up old truck. My brother-in-law was being honored as it was his last day working for the Coral Gables police dept after 28 years on the force. We rode with them to the police dept where his two sons (one who is on the force as well) honored him with his retirement badge. Friends, the acting chief and others blessed him with accolades for his service but the best was yet to come. After the ceremony they gave him a police escort to the city line, 15 squad cars, 6 motorcycle cops with lights blaring and sirens howling treated him to a few minutes of royalty and it was greatest thing I have done in a long time. They gave him a radio and as we were ecsorted down the road one officer after another called in to wish him the best. Then at the the end they called his badge number and call sign one last time and asked for acknowledgement. With tears running down all of our faces he barely was able to call out and say thank you to his brothers and sisters it has been a hell of a day and a hell of a career.....My father is a retired city of Miami policeman, my brother in law as described and now his son carries on a third generation who put on a bullet proof vest everyday as they go to work...I'm very proud of each one of them.
Thanks for sharing that wonderful story, Ralph. It's great that your dad was there to share the experience with you, your sister, his son-in-law, and and his grandsons. I'm sure he was proud and thankful to be part of it.