On May 15, Whitehall Township held its first police commendation ceremony. The event, held at Fellowship Community, highlighted stories of bravery, selflessness and compassion as awards - more than 100 for meritorious service, 18 for lifesaving, two Purple Hearts and seven medals of honor - were presented to the men and women of Whitehall Township’s law enforcement.

As family members, friends, public officials and officers themselves entered the room, they were greeted by a slideshow highlighting township officers in the line of duty throughout the years. The event was the first public recognition for Whitehall Township officers in more than 20 years, as acts of heroism were recounted from as early as 1991.

Lt. Gregory Bealer was the first to speak, welcoming everyone to the event. Bealer told a story of how he participated in the Road to Hope bicycle tour, organized to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to ensure their surviving family members are supported.

“Taking part in that event was really eye-opening for me and kick-started the drive to make sure that this ceremony became reality,” Bealer said. “It is so important to honor those while they are still among us, to let them know that their hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.”

After Bealer’s opening remarks, pastor Phil Yerington led an invocation and prayer.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence for those who have died took place, and a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace” was played before Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. took to the podium.

Hozza recounted the 10 years he has spent working closely with law enforcement. He told a story of how, on his first day, he was warned the hardest time for him would be from March until the first frost, as the warm weather creates problems that aren’t truly understood until you work for the public.

“My hats off to all of you,” Hozza said. “It is truly incredible to know that I have now hired close to half of the department, as over the past 10 years, we have had many retirees, and I could not be prouder of the quality of the people that we have here, especially at this time, as it is not so favorable being a police officer.”

Once Hozza’s speech ended, Chief of Police Michael J. Marks offered a few words on the commendation program itself. Marks spoke about how the committee examined incidents over the past 20 years and how it was extremely humbling to look into these extraordinary feats, some of which Marks didn’t even know had taken place.

“There are no cowards who drive the black and whites for Whitehall,” Marks said. “Tonight is a night [when] we thank those for their service, but please, don’t just thank them tonight. It’s not easy to be a cop, and we have some of the finest here in our township.”

Marks then introduced guest speaker Lehigh County Common Pleas Judge Maria L. Dantos, who has participated from every seat inside the courtroom during her tenure in law.

“Bravery, courage, merit - our everyday heroes stand for something, fight for something,” Dantos said. “Police officers are a different breed.”

Lt. Bruce Somers then began the awards portion of the evening. Before giving out the police commendation awards, Whitehall Township honored Jay Gilbert, Fellowship Manor, Mission BBQ and the civilian support staff of Whitehall Police Department with civic service awards. The township also honored Whitehall Fire Police with a unit citation award and honored the late Robert Benner with a lifetime support award. Benner headed the township’s fire department for more than 30 years until his death in March 2016.

More than 100 meritorious service awards were then given out, each telling the tale of the officers involved and the sacrifices made in the line of duty. Tales varied from arson, assault, burglaries, home invasions, drug busts, attempted homicide and everything in between. The event honored both current officers and retired officers, as a majority of the officers involved were in the audience.

After a brief intermission, 18 lifesaving awards were presented. Tales varied from heart attacks, drownings, overdoses and stroke victims, saved by efforts of the members of the police department.

Two Purple Hearts awarded were presented to retired Lt. James Wagner and retired Officer Ronald Shirk.

Seven medals of honor also were given for outstanding work in the line of duty.

Board of commissioners President Phillips Armstrong was the last to speak, stating how humbling it is to be surrounded by the hardworking individuals of Whitehall Township Police Department and adding he truly believes that Whitehall is No. 1 in the area for safety.

“There isn’t any place I would have rather been tonight,” Armstrong said. “We are all so proud.”