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It is a disturbing trend in our culture to distrust law enforcement and extravagate negative events involving law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers more often receive negativity and hostility from the general public then they do recognition for their everyday acts of courage, charity and kindness. Law enforcement officers therefore are a special breed of individual who do not seek awards or applause for their selfless actions. However, even in the world of such extraordinary individuals as that of law enforcement officers, occasionally an event occurs where the officer is faced with such demanding circumstances or an officer demonstrates extraordinary skills or devotion to the improvement of their community that their peers feel obligated to recognize their efforts. Therefore, the Lodge has established an awards program so that we, law enforcement officers ourselves can have an appropriate avenue to recognize our peers when they perform acts that are over and above even the extreme standards we hold for ourselves.
Valor: This award is for acts of courage and bravery above and beyond that normally expected of a law enforcement officer; Life Saving: This award is for acts by a law enforcement officer that saved the life of an individual where the circumstances were extraordinary; Community Service: This award is for service to a community in roles outside that of a law enforcement officer and where that service had a positive and lasting impact on a community; Professional Proficiency: This award is for law enforcement officers who take a leadership role and demonstrate excellence and extreme expertise in the application of their professional duties and knowledge. The Executive Board issues awards from the award categories from time to time as appropriate. Any Lodge member, from all classes of membership, may nominate any law enforcement officer for an award, even if that law enforcement officer is not a member of the Lodge.
Life Saving Award The Executive Board has awarded Brother Riecardo Washington from VA Chicago at Westside the Lodge Life Saving Award. Brother Washington was nominated by Sister Gustafson and will receive his award at the Scheduled Lodge Meeting on Oct. 17th, 2001. Brother Washington is being recognized for his acts that saved a patient from death due to renal failure. Early last summer, doctors at VA Chicago Westside contacted the VA Police Service and advised that an out-patient who submitted blood for testing that day was in grave danger. The doctors related that the tests revealed that the patient was in immediate danger of renal failure that could result in death. The VA Police contacted the local police and issued bulletins over the LEADS network to find the patient without success. The local police reported that they visited the patient's home several times without success. Brother Washington, after his tour of duty that day and on his own time, visited the home of the patient and found him. Further, Brother Washington used his personal vehicle and immediately transported the patient back to the Chicago Westside Medical Center where the patient received life saving emergency treatment. Brother Washington went far and above that normally expected and proves that our nations veterans are served by the finest and most conscientious police officers in the nation.
Professional Proficiency Award
At the June 24th 2002 meeting of the Executive Board, Brother Steven Rosenberg of V.A. Chicago, Lakeside Div. was unanimously voted to receive the Lodge Professional Proficiency Award. Brother Rosenberg was nominated by Secretary Reed for the honor in recognition of his consistent demonstration of expertise in the conduct of his duties. In a recent theft case, Brother Rosenberg recovered a $20,000 medical instrument by use of good investigative techniques.
 Brother Rosenberg displays his award, with Vice President Manning on the left and President Lang on the right.
911 Recognition Certificate
At the June 24, 2002 meeting of the Executive Board, the board voted to act on a suggestion by Brother Theodore Zasadzinski of VA Chicago, that every officer who worked during the state of emergency following the Sept. 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks deserves recognition. Therefore, the Board created the Sept. 11th Recognition Certificate. During the month of July 2002, a certificate was sent to every member of the Lodge. Lodge members also recommend many other police officers for this award.
The award certificate recognizes that during the state of emergency, we loyally stood our posts and suffered the grief and stress of the dreadful events of Sept. 11th together and that we did not faultier in the protection of our communities.
Life Saving Award
On the morning of Sunday, April 13th, 2003, VA Pittsburgh Officer John Ackerman was moonlighting as a patrol officer for the Pennsylvania Village of South Greensburg when he was summoned to a fire scene. Upon his arrival, he observed multiple private residences on fire. Knowing that one of the homes was lived in by an elderly man and his daughter, Ackerman forced his way into their burning home, risking injury from the flames and brought them out to safety.
In May, Vice President Gregory Johnson, also of VA Pittsburgh, nominated Officer Ackerman for the Lodge Life Saving Award. The Executive Board agreed and authorized the award. Vice President Johnson presented Officer Ackerman with a plaque and the praise of his peers at a ceremony on June 18th, 2003.
Officer Ackerman has also received awards from the several fire departments that fought the fires in this incident. Fire Chief Reese of Carbon, PA., described Officer Ackerman's actions as unique and remarked to the local press "We had a miracle here today".
 Pictured from left to right: Terry Gerigk (Asso. Director VAPHCS); Officer John Ackerman; Det. Lt. Greg Johnson; Michael Moreland (Director VAPHCS); Jack Crawford (Chief of VAPHCS Police).
Life Saving Award Officer Shannon Parenteau of the Coatsville, PA. VA Medical Center was awarded the Lodge Life Saving Award by the Executive Board on Jan, 15th. 2003. The member from Coatsville who nominated her wrote in his nomination of Parenteau the following: "The officer responded to a call for a high risk missing patient. After several minutes went by and the medical staff failed to locate the patient, the officer found the patient located in a deep embankment where the officer, with no regard of her own safety, destroyed her uniform to reach him. The officer then stood by and treated the patient for shock until medical assistance could arrive." The member from Coatsville who nominated her also noted in his nomination that Officer Parenteau has demonstrated a high level of professional proficiency in her investigative skills, case preparation and public relations. Officer Parenteau has proven to be a valuable asset to the service and is relatively new, only being appointed in Sept. 2002.
Community Service Award Brother Tim McIntyre of the Coatsville, PA. VA Medical Center was awarded the Lodge Community Service Award by the Executive Board on Jan. 15th. 2003. The member from Coatsville who nominated him wrote of Officer McIntyre the following: "Officer McIntyre's direct involvement as a mentor, concerned leader and coach has improved youth personnel participation in girls fast pitch softball (ages 12-16), boys football (ages 9-10) and cub scouts (ages 6-12) in his community. Officer McIntyre's coaching and leadership style continually stresses to the youth the importance of education, teamwork, citizenship, fun and the role it plays in sporting events and scouting activities. Furthermore, Officer McIntrye volunteers his remaining off-duty time as a volunteer fire / police officer with his local fire company".
Community Service Award In July 2003, the Executive Board awarded the Lodge Community Service Award to past Vice President Thomas Manning of VA Chicago. The Board recognized Manning's volunteer service to the Veterans of Foreign Wars as a service officer. In his volunteer capacity of service officer, Manning advises members of the VFW on their benefits available at the VA and assists them in filing applications and making appeals. Manning also is a member of several community service organizations and volunteers his time and money to their worthwhile causes. Recently Manning assisted in the presentation of a color television at a children's hospital by the Blue Knights, a law enforcement officer's motorcycle riding club.
Award of Valor
Last November 13th, 2003, at approximately 8:30 AM, at the Amarillo Texas VA Medical Center, a highly emotionally disturbed patient drove a van up to the emergency room and began shooting a rifle and shouting for the VA Police to kill him. Suicide by COP, one of the most dreaded scenarios for any law enforcement officer to face. On duty that day in Amarillo were Capt. Al Newman and Patrol Officer George Lawler. These brave officers deployed themselves around the patient's vehicle and when the opportunity arose, Capt. Newman stormed the van and extricated the patient. Officer Lawler joined in the battle and the patient was subdued, without the use of the officer's firearms. The possibility for the loss of life in the incident was dramatic, and could have been far more dangerous if the officers had chosen to return the patient's rifle fire with their own. However, mindful of the risks to the public, the officers instead exposed themselves to enormous risk and took the offender alive, by use of un-armed tactics.
The Lodge Executive Board determined on Jan. 15h 2004 that the actions of Newman and Lawler warrant the highest possible peer award, The Lodge Award of Valor and have passed a resolution attesting to the great admiration that every VA officer feels towards these two brave men. The actions of Newman and Lawler exemplify the courage and bravery of the VA Police Service and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that our veterans and our country are well protected by such selfless and honorable law enforcement officers as are the VA Police !
The hyperlink below will open our nomination form in your browser. The form is in Adobe PDF format (Portable Document Format). In order to view the form, the Adobe 'Acrobat Reader' is required (or a 3rd party PDF reader). If you do not already have this software installed, it is freely available for download from the Adobe web site. Click on the 'Get Acrobat Reader' icon to download the latest version free of charge. You will have to use your browsers "back" button to return to this page.
 Award Nomination FormThe form may be substituted by any means that communicates the appropriate information (letter, email, phone call). Submissions should me made to the Lodge Secretary at the following address:
FOP DVA Law Enforcement Officer's Lodge
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