8 years ago, United States Army Master Sergeant Gliniewicz retired. Last week, Fox Lake Police Lieutenant Gliniewicz was murdered on-the-job.
Joe leaves a wife and four sons. One son is a paratrooper, like his father. The youngest son still attends Antioch High School, where Joe's funeral will be held in two days, on Labor Day, 2015. Go Panthers!
I traveled to the high school two days before the funeral and found (1) the sign remembers him, (2) the groundskeeper is preparing the garden and (3) area policemen were also checking on the school.
The Walmart on 173 where we will stage at 0700 is a couple miles east of the school, one mile south of the cemetery. The school is one mile east of Route 59. Joe must have commuted to Fox Lake on Route 59. I followed his route and found Emmons Elementary School just south of town. Go Pirates!
They stuffed colored paper in their fence to send a message to all traveling on Joe's commute.
I realize that the Emmons teachers probably did more than the students. When I got to Fox Lake, I passed Grant High School. Go Bulldogs!
Grant had gone to “hard lock-down” on that terrible Tuesday last week. The students made a similar tribute along Route 59.
The Fox Lake Police Station was a little farther down the road. The nearby field presented a sign and an opportunity. Most folks supporting funerals can only send flowers or send their money to one of those “in lieu of flowers” places. Folks in Fox Lake are invited to help fund the reward for Joe's murderers. Motorola has contributed $50 thousand.
I then traveled the short bit more to the murder scene and found another sign.
And then home, passing Lake Shore Harley where I got my bike.
I will mount the 5 by 8 on it Monday and join (probably) 300 other Patriot Guard Riders and (probably) 2000 cops, deputies and troopers from at least two states, and more than a few soldiers. We will be there to honor Joe but we will be thinking about his three murderers.